Sleep disorders in adults and adolescents: causes, consequences, prevention, treatment

Useful articles

Insomnia (insomnia) and other sleep disorders can affect a person at any age. Teenage insomnia has become a significant problem these days. Sleep disturbance in a teenager requires treatment, since otherwise exhaustion of the nervous system quickly develops. During a period of active growth and development, a person needs to sleep more than 8 hours a day, otherwise the body simply does not have time to fully rest.

Features of sleepless nights in teenagers

The course of insomnia in adolescents follows the same principle:

• the child has difficulty falling asleep;
• it is difficult for him to understand what is happening, he does not know how to solve this problem;
• then difficulties appear when waking up in the morning;
• this gradually leads to problems with concentration;
• the teenager quickly becomes lethargic, drowsy and tired;
• due to insomnia, his academic performance decreases and mood swings occur;
• in severe cases, neuroses and depression develop.

Insomnia in a teenager is often associated with the lifestyle of an adult. The main cause of the condition is changes in the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. This can happen under the influence of various factors, including bad habits and abuse of energy cocktails.

Important! Even without additional factors, the teenage body produces melatonin differently than an adult or child. If in a person over 25 years old the hormone begins to be produced at 21-22 pm, then in a teenager this time shifts to 2 am.

The production of the hormone is often influenced by such a factor as the desire for knowledge of a teenager: he wants to walk, play on the computer, do what he loves, communicate with friends. Never in his life as during this period would he have so many first discoveries.

However, melatonin is often disrupted due to alcohol, nicotine, energy drinks, and electromagnetic radiation that comes from monitors.

When to consult a doctor

If all measures to improve the process of falling asleep and improving the quality of night sleep in a child do not help, then you may need to consult a doctor. The cause of insomnia may be diseases of the nervous system or psychological problems in the child.

Therefore, in case of emotional disorders, it would be best to interview a psychologist. Such a highly qualified specialist will be able to help the child cope with his negative emotions and solve “teenage problems”.

A specialist psychologist will teach a teenager to control his emotions, prevent the negative impact of emotional stress (quarrels in the family and with friends, trouble at school, etc.), and will also recommend parents to improve their family relationships, to avoid an obvious showdown in the presence of a teenager, which is also a common cause of psychological problems.

Good emotional balance in such a situation should stabilize the teenager’s mental state.

Main causes of insomnia

Statistics say that more than 1/3 of modern teenagers around the world experience sleep problems. There are certain reasons for this:

• Disturbance of the biological clock. Natural processes that can shift the biological rhythm are impaired by the teenager's constant desire to have fun. However, increasingly, the computer becomes the reason for shifting sleep patterns.

• Excessive loads. This category of causes of insomnia in adolescents includes psychological and emotional experiences. They can be associated both with processing too much information, and with interpersonal relationships, first love, quarrels with teachers and friends (after all, teenagers often begin to test their character, showing rebellion and other unpleasant traits in behavior). Hormonal fluctuations can also lead to emotional changes.
• Bad habits and poor nutrition. Tobacco and alcohol negatively affect the neurons of the young brain and destroy them. Because of this, the nervous system quickly begins to suffer. Insomnia in teenagers can also be associated with poor nutrition – a lack of vitamins.

• VSD and hyperactivity that arose in the pre-adolescent period. Hyperactivity is a disorder of the nervous system. It often persists until adolescence, but it changes and causes insomnia.
• Mechanical factors. These include reasons such as the wrong mattress, pillow, room furnishings or bed location. If a child is uncomfortable in his place of sleep, then this significantly affects insomnia. Lack of comfort, improper pressure on the spine, and stale bed make it difficult to fall asleep and prevent relaxation.

Sometimes teenagers take on too many functions and responsibilities: study, work, still have time to prepare for admission and communicate with friends. This leads to colossal loads that cause stress, which sooner or later affects the nervous system with various abnormalities.

Important! Other factors, such as lack of physical activity, can also provoke insomnia in adolescents.

There are also pathological reasons that cause insomnia: sudden hormonal disruptions, after which the level is not restored, diseases of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands. In girls, strict diets can cause insomnia - they do not yet understand the importance of proper nutrition.

Factors such as upcoming tests deserve special attention: moving, exams, traveling to a new place, competitions or performances.

Treatment of insomnia in adolescence

When a teenager develops insomnia, the question immediately arises of what to do and how to treat it.
Improve sleep hygiene and daily routine, remove the computer from your child’s room and limit his access to social networks.

If sleep does not improve, you need to contact your pediatrician, who can refer you to a somnologist, neurologist, psychotherapist or cardiologist.

Drugs to improve sleep

Insomnia at 12-16 years of age is usually a physiological condition, so doctors do not recommend the use of medications with a hypnotic effect. According to indications, hormonal medications may be prescribed that will compensate for the lack of melatonin.

Safe treatments for teenage insomnia:

• "Dormiplant";
• "Fitosed";
• "Persen";
• "Motherwort-Forte".

The listed preparations are made on the basis of medicinal plants. Their action is aimed at calming the nervous system and weakening exciting processes in the cerebral cortex.

Advice! It is not recommended to treat a teenager on your own, especially with medications prescribed for insomnia in adults.

Phytotherapy

If a teenager has trouble sleeping due to emotional overstimulation and constant worries, you can use folk recipes. Treatment is carried out using teas and tinctures with a sedative effect.

The following herbs are used for this purpose:

• chamomile;
• passionflower;
• valerian;
• mint.

It is necessary to take herbal teas and decoctions with caution.

Attention! Incorrect dosage or exceeding the duration of the course leads to increased excitability. A teenager may also be allergic to the plant. If a runny nose, rash, redness, or swelling of the mucous membranes appears, it is recommended to discontinue herbal medicine.

Homeopathy

Homeopathic medicines are the safest and most effective in treating insomnia. They are not addictive, have no side effects, and are approved for children and adolescents. It is recommended to take 5-10 drops or 8-10 grains of the drug to restore sleep.

The most popular drugs prescribed by a homeopath are:

1. "DreamZzz" The course of treatment helps restore sleep, reduce psycho-emotional stress, regulates the absorption and excretion of glucose from the body.
2. "Sonylux". This drug promotes overall strengthening of the body, eliminates headaches and sleep disturbances.
3. "Notta." Prescribed to reduce excitability, restore emotional state after stressful situations.
4. "Valerian-Hel." The drops have a hypnotic effect, help normalize sleep, and eliminate neurasthenia.

Before prescribing the drug, the doctor studies the nature of insomnia and also finds out the reasons for its occurrence. The dosage and duration of the course are determined individually. In case of diseases of internal organs, homeopathy will not have the desired effect.

Physiotherapy

Elimination of chronic insomnia is possible with the help of physiotherapy: massages, baths, hydrotherapy. These techniques are prescribed for complex treatment. At the same time, the teenager should take herbal teas or medications.

The most effective physiotherapy procedures:

1. Progressive relaxation. With this technique, full tension of all muscles is stimulated, and then they are relaxed.
2. Biofeedback therapy. Treatment is carried out using a special device. It is based on teaching a teenager the ability to cope with his emotions and completely relax before bed.
3. Hydrotherapy. Relaxing baths help calm the nerves and all muscles. The course of treatment returns the teenager to full sleep.

It is important to know! Physical therapy is effective for teenagers who suffer from insomnia due to an immature nervous system or cardiovascular disease. Using these techniques, irritability, aggression, and apathy are eliminated.

Help from a psychologist and other specialists

Psychological support should be provided not only to the teenager, but also to his family. The therapy will be long-term, based on a discussion of all difficult situations in the child’s life. Methods for restoring sleep:

• Self-relaxation of muscles before bed.
• If you cannot sleep, it is recommended to find a quiet activity (embroidery, reading, drawing, modeling with plasticine).
• Regulation of the reflex when the bed and bedroom are intended only for sleeping.

When diagnosing depression or neurosis, it is recommended to consult a psychotherapist. If the child has other sleep disorders, treatment using psychological techniques and CPAP therapy is prescribed by a somnologist.

Parents' actions

During adolescence, a person is susceptible to many psychological diseases. Therefore, a growing and seemingly independent child requires even more attention and control from parents. If you experience insomnia, follow these recommendations:

1. Limit your time on computer games and the Internet, especially before bed.
2. Create comfortable conditions for your child: a separate quiet bedroom, optimal room temperature (18-21o), a comfortable bed, a night light.
3. Protect your child from adult problems, do not swear in front of him.
4. Adjust your sleep patterns. If your child needs to get up at 7 am, let him fall asleep at 10 pm.
5. Adjust your diet, have dinner 2 hours before bedtime.
6. Make sure your child does not drink alcohol or energy drinks or smoke.

The measures listed are necessary even if you are already undergoing specialized treatment. After complete recovery, visit your doctor every year.

Additional signs

Insomnia in adolescents is accompanied by additional symptoms:

• the teenager sleeps less than 7 hours;
• the period of falling asleep increases to 1-2 hours;
• Waking up takes more than an hour.

Other factors may indicate insomnia: problems with appetite, short temper, difficulties with memory, coordination, aggressiveness and irritability.

A child suffering from insomnia feels tired and exhausted all the time, even if sometimes he manages to sleep for more than 9-10 hours. A special symptom of insomnia in adolescents is fibromyalgia syndrome with the transfer of activity to the virtual world.

Fibromyalgia is pain of various localizations, mainly girls suffer from it. The pain is localized in the waist area and occurs when pressing on certain points. There are no physiological reasons for their manifestation.

Symptoms of fibromyalgia include restless sleep at night: a teenager moves his legs, constantly throws things around him, and throws off the blanket. Symptoms go away as soon as sleep can be normalized.

Virtual reality is extremely dangerous for a developing organism because it offers a huge world, traveling through which does not require any effort from a person. Some teenagers even experience such symptoms that it is difficult for them to distinguish the game from reality.

How much sleep should a teenager sleep?

Children sleep longer than adults. Newborns, for example, generally devote themselves to this activity for 20 hours a day, while slightly older babies sleep for 16 hours. Those young people and girls who have crossed the teenage threshold are recommended to sleep at least 9 hours. Moreover, it is advisable to develop a certain rhythm: go to bed and get up at the same time, go to bed before 22:30 and get up no later than 8:00.

In order for your child to fall asleep better in the evening, it is better to avoid active games before bedtime, long evening cartoons or computer entertainment. Without smartphones in bed and midnight conversations with friends on the phone. Of course, you cannot do without discipline and parental comments in adolescence, but it is better to accustom your child to healthy sleep from childhood, convincing him that sleep is very important.

In what conditions should a child sleep?

It’s good if a teenager’s room is a ventilated room where a comfortable temperature is maintained at night (18-20 degrees), where there are no drafts or batteries running at full capacity. If you can buy a humidifier, that's great.

Bedding and pajamas are selected correctly, in accordance with the season, without going to extremes. Preference is given to natural materials and fillers that do not cause allergies or irritation.

Based on materials from the website matras.ru

Signs at different ages

Insomnia in children usually manifests itself in the inability to fall asleep quickly or by short, anxious sleep, as a result of which one feels even more tired instead of replenishing strength.

In infants, signs of the disorder include: constant crying, sensitive dreams, which can be disturbed by minor noise, and constant awakening for no apparent reason with inexplicable hysterics.

In children of primary school age, the disease is expressed by frequent nightmares from viewing relevant content, impressions of quarrels and phantoms of non-existent monsters in the dark.

Teenagers cannot fall asleep on time due to an overabundance of unnecessary thoughts in their heads. Late going to bed is accompanied by a disrupted routine, as a result of which staying in bed varies from 4-6 hours on weekdays to 12-14 hours on weekends. In both cases, sleep disturbance in a teenager is followed by an acute state of fatigue. For the same reason, he can constantly snap, be sarcastic, and get angry at his parents for no reason.

Consequences of frequent lack of sleep

Systematic sleep disturbances lead to chronic lack of sleep, fatigue, and exhaustion of the nervous system. A teenager’s immunity decreases and the ability to concentrate deteriorates. Parents may notice changes in the child’s behavior, mood, academic performance, communication with peers and adults. It will not be difficult for an attentive mother and father to understand that something is wrong with their child if:

• the child is irritated and sometimes aggressive in the morning and afternoon;
• he is constantly tired;
• it became more difficult for him to complete his homework, it was difficult to concentrate;
• it became more difficult for him to remember new information;
• grades at school have gotten worse, teachers are complaining;
• his appetite is reduced or, conversely, increased.

A teenager’s appearance suffers from chronic lack of sleep: hair falls out, skin becomes pale, bags under the eyes, skin rashes (acne) may appear, nails and teeth deteriorate. Long-term sleep disturbances worsen well-being and create preconditions for the development of a large number of diseases. Among them:

• vision pathologies;
• obesity and related diseases;
• diabetes mellitus, other metabolic pathologies;
• brain disorders;
• panic attacks;
• depressive states.

Lack of sleep often occurs against a background of stress, but it itself is also stress for the body. And in a stressful state, the human mind is not able to make informed decisions. If you need to perform a habitual action, it is less noticeable, but when the situation is non-standard, it is more difficult for a person to deal with it. Children and adolescents have not yet developed stress resistance skills.