Adolescence

There is little change in sleep architecture during puberty - principally just a continuation of the general sleep changes that accompany aging ie less slow-wave sleep overall, less stage 4 sleep in particular, and a reduced overall average sleep time. There are fewer night-wakenings and less REM/non-REM sleep cycles. The number of cycles decreases from about 7 pre-pubertally to about 4 in early adulthood.

Two features that are often a feature of adolescent sleep patterns are (1):

• mid-afternoon drowsiness
• difficulty in rousing in the mornings

The mid-afternoon drowsiness may be apparent in adolescents even when adequate sleep is allowed at night; and has nothing to do with heavy lunches. Difficulty in rousing in the mornings may be related to lack of adequate night-time sleep. Often adolescents are chronically sleep deprived and are likely to take opportunities to make up for lost night-time sleep.

Reference:

• Carskadon M. Determinants of daytime sleepiness: adolescent development, extended and restricted sleep. PhD Thesis. Stanford University. Stanford, California. 1979.