SATURDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- When the days grow longer
in the spring, teens experience hormonal changes that lead to later
bedtimes and associated problems, such as lack of sleep and mood
changes, researchers have found.
In a study of 16 students enrolled in the 8th grade at an
upstate New York middle school, researchers collected information
on the kids' melatonin levels. Levels of melatonin -- a hormone
that tells the body when it's nighttime -- normally start rising
two to three hours before a person falls asleep.
The study authors found that melatonin levels in the teens began
to rise an average of 20 minutes later in the spring than in the
winter. The teens also reported an average 16-minute delay in sleep
onset and an average 15-minute reduction in sleep duration in
spring compared to winter.
"This is a double-barreled problem for teenagers and their
parents," study author Mariana Figueiro, an associate professor at
the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in
Troy, N.Y., said in a news release from the institute.
"In addition to the exposure to more evening daylight, many
teens also contend with not getting enough morning light to
stimulate the body's biological system, also delaying teens'
bedtimes," she explained.
This delay in getting to sleep may lead to sleep deprivation and
mood changes, and may also increase the risk of obesity and
possibly lower school grades, Figueiro noted.
The study is published in the July issue of the journal
Chronobiology International.
"This latest study supplements previous work and supports the
general hypothesis that the entire 24-hour pattern of light/dark
exposure influences synchronization of the body's circadian clock
with the solar day and thus influences teenagers' sleep/wake
cycles," Figueiro stated in the news release.
"As a general rule, teenagers should increase morning daylight
exposure year round and decrease evening daylight exposure in the
spring to help ensure they will get sufficient sleep before going
to school," she advised.
More information
The National Sleep Foundation has more about
adolescent sleep needs and patterns.
