AGC Pediatrics LLC
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Locations We Serve >
      • Pediatric Care for Dalton Kids
      • Pediatric Care for Cartersville Kids
      • Pediatric Care for Jasper Kids
      • Pediatric Care for Acworth Kids
      • Pediatric Care for Bartow Kids
      • Pediatric Care for Canton Kids
    • Clinic Policies
    • Insurance Help
    • Getting started at AGC
    • Community Events
    • How Do I Know I Chose the Right Pediatrician?
  • Services
    • Behavioral Medicine >
      • ADD/ADHD Consult
      • Helping Your Child Cope with ADHD Symptoms
      • Choosing the Right ADHD Pediatrician
      • How to Identify ADHD Symptoms in Children
      • Testing for ADHD in Children
      • Pediatric ADHD Treatment Options
      • ADHD & Your Teenager
    • Newborn Care >
      • Newborn Checklist
      • Newborn Care FAQs
      • What to Expect from Your Baby's Wellness Check-Up
      • Child Safety Tips for New Parents
      • Managing Asthma in Newborns
    • Pediatric Asthma and Allergy >
      • Testing for Allergies in Children
      • Fall Allergy Testing for Kids
      • Non-Invasive Allergy Testing
      • Tips for Managing Childhood Asthma
      • How to Manage Your Child's Allergies
      • Childhood Asthma FAQs
    • Pediatric Health and Wellness >
      • Why Are Wellness Checks Important?
      • Pediatric Immunization Schedule
      • Preventing Childhood Obesity
      • Summer Well Child Exams at AGC
      • Georgia School Immunization Requirements
  • Medical Staff
    • Patient Portal
    • Meet Our Staff!
    • Office Contacts
    • Billing Department
    • Staff Directory
  • Resources
    • Patient Portal
    • For Parents >
      • Child Safety Tips from AGC Pediatrics
      • Foods that Fight Childhood ADHD
      • 10 Tips For Parenting a Child with ADHD - AGC Pediatrics
      • Activities to Keep a Child with ADHD Busy During the Summertime
    • Patient Rights
    • Patient Documents
    • Pediatric Health Care FAQs
    • Articles
  • Patient Portal

Is Your Teen Getting Enough Sleep? ​

Sleep is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle at any age, and this is especially true for growing teenagers and their developmental well-being.

Despite the importance of sleep, research indicates most teens do not get enough sleep on a regular basis. Why are most teens so chronically sleep deprived and what are the dangers of sleep deprivation?
​
AGC Pediatrics serves the North Georgia area, and we are dedicated to helping parents keep their teenagers healthy. Learn more about teen sleep deprivation below.

Common Reasons Teens Don’t Get Enough Sleep

​There are numerous reasons teenagers don’t sleep enough, and most teens aren’t just subject to one single reason.

​Teen Sleep Deprivation Cause #1: Biology

As your child enters puberty, they experience hormonal changes, which affect when and how much melatonin they produce. Melatonin is the sleep hormone, which dictates a person’s sleep cycles and circadian rhythms.
​
It’s normal for teenagers to feel wide awake until 11pm or later and to want to sleep in. However, teens actually need 8 to 9 hours of good sleep per night.

Teen Sleep Deprivation Cause #2: Socializing ​

Socializing is a healthy part of your teenager’s life, and it’s important for their mental and emotional development.

When your teen is having fun hanging out with a friend, they may lose track of time, or if they’re at home, they may stay up later talking on the phone or chatting over social media. This cuts into time dedicated for sleep.
​
Additionally, blue light, which smart phones and laptops produce, inhibits the production of melatonin

Teen Sleep Deprivation Cause #3: Trying to do Everything

Your teen lives a busy lifestyle, which is split between things they have to do like going to school and things they want to do like participating in extracurricular activities.

It can be hard to balance school, homework, having a social life, and pursuing all of your interests. We’ve all been guilty of prioritizing the things we want to do and having to stay up late when it comes to writing a paper or submitting a college application.
​
These behaviors are common, but they can create stress, which makes it harder to sleep. In turn, sleep deprivation increases stress and reduces the ability to handle it.

Dangers of Teen Sleep Deprivation

​As rampant as sleep deprivation may be, that doesn’t make it any less dangerous. Chronic sleep deprivation creates what’s known as a sleep debt, and it can have some pretty serious effects and consequences.

Teen Sleep Deprivation and Depression

​One 2015 study from the Journal of Youth and Adolescence stated that for every hour of sleep a teen loses, they are 38 percent more likely to feel sad or hopeless. Teens who only get an average of six hours of sleep a night suffer from depression three times as often as a teen who doesn’t experience sleep deprivation.

Teen Sleep Deprivation and Substance Abuse

Less sleep can increase the likelihood of depression, but it also makes it harder for teens to handle their emotions and impulses.
​
Without the emotional capacity to cope with stress and other factors, teens are prone to self-medicate with alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. Some of these substances make it harder to fall asleep or ruin the quality of sleep.

Teen Sleep Deprivation and Learning Problems

​Teens who sleep less find it harder to behave, concentrate, and stay awake in school. Sleep allows the mind to rest and repair itself, and quality sleep aids the brain’s ability to learn and remember new information and to regulate emotional processes.

Book an Appointment Online with AGC Pediatrics

Are you worried that your teen is suffering from sleep deprivation? In addition to the dangers listed above, sleep deprivation may cause acne and increase the likelihood of obesity.
​
Book an appointment online today with AGC Pediatrics.

Quick Links

New to AGC? Want to know where or
how to start? Click here.
AGC Policies
Meet the healthcare providers of AGC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Documents page
Patient Rights
Wellness Center
Pediatric Services

Locations

204 Professional Court,
Calhoun, GA 30701
100 Market Place Blvd, Suite 201
Cartersville, GA 30120
7311 Fairmount Highway,
Calhoun, GA 30701
189 Professional Court, Suite 200
Calhoun, GA 30701

Phone

706-625-5900

Fax

Calhoun - 706-625-5906

Email

contact.us@agcpediatrics.com

Hours

8am - 5:30pm Mon-Fri

To reach someone after hours, please
leave a message on our Triage line. You
will receive a response within 30 minutes.
Patient Portal