The Insomnia Blog by Sleep Doctor Michael Breus, Ph.D.

Adolescents Losing Sleep Over “It”

“It” just keeps getting worse. And “it” is robbing our adolescents of the sleep they need to learn, be healthy, and probably feel good about themselves. What is “it”? A combination of things:

• Obesity
• Technology abuse
• Caffeine abuse
• Sleeplessness

Now that’s a combination for poor health. Any one of these items can be addressed successfully, but together they blend to create a terribly difficult mountain to climb.

This week the big news networks reported on how much fatter we are all getting, from boomers to children. Not a single state shows signs of slimming down, and obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year.

Obesity rates among kids have skyrocketed. Now add to that another study that emerged this week indicating that obesity among teens is associated with less sleep. Two notable culprits: technology and sleep issues. 

Better Marriage, Better Sleep

Does that really surprise anyone? A new study out of the University of Pittsburgh says that women who have stable marriages sleep better than women who are unmarried or who have lost a partner. The study also pointed out the fact women who start dating a new partner also sleep better as compared to their single—partner-less—counterparts.

Surely you and I can list several factors contributing to this result. (And I’d bet that if a study were performed on men, they’d find similar results.)

Let’s be honest: a good relationship, married or not, often leads to:

Nap vs. Caffeine vs. More Nighttime Sleep?

If a 20-minute nap, a cup of joe, and more shuteye at night were in a cage match, who would win for reducing that classic afternoon “dip”? The answer is: (in order of effectiveness)

1. Nap
2. Caffeine
3. Then more nighttime sleep

A new study just released proves the power of a nap over a jolt of caffeine and even more sleep at night. It’s actually the first such study to look at all three methods for combating the afternoon lull that’s commonly experienced—and which is a very normal physiological response to the body cycling through its natural rhythms during the day.