In 1993, scientists floated a theory that suggested that the circadian rhythm mechanism might be somehow changed in teenagers, causing many of them to be sleepy all morning and want to sleep late into the day. When they investigated this in the lab, they found that sleep phases and melatonin secretion are delayed in adolescents when compared to sixth grade children.
Plenty of other studies have since investigated this and have consistently found that adolescents go to bed later and sleep in later. I have a pre-teen daughter at home, and I am already seeing this change in her: She used to bounce out of bed at 6 am when she was little, and now she can sleep until noon if I let her. Of course, there are some individual variations in this, but the take-home message is that it’s difficult to fight the body’s internal maintenance mechanisms.
If you are a late sleeper, schedule your day around your most wakeful times and pay attention to your body’s cues. The body is an amazing machine if you get your mind out of the way and let it function properly. Have a restful sleep tonight, at whatever time you feel yourself getting sleepy.
And, sleep in if you can. After all, science has your back on this!
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References:
- Carskadon, M.A., Vieira, C., Acebo, C. (1993). Association between puberty and delayed sleep preference. Sleep, 16:258-262
- Carskadon, M.A., Acebo, C., & Fallone, G. (2002). Morningness/eveningness (M/E) phase angle, sleep restriction, and MSLT: a pilot study in adolescents. Sleep, 25:127-128