http://www.wtvw.com/Global/story.asp?S=1479065&nav=7CPEIU7i
Sleep deprivation common among teens
Reporter: Ann Moore
Evansville, IN October 12 -- Some kids who exhibit symptoms of ADHD may simply
not be getting enough sleep.
Dr. Mark Goetting of the St. Mary's Sleep Disorders Lab claims many of his
young patients have been misdiagnosed.
Sleep deprivation causes drowsiness during the day for teenagers. But if
younger children aren't getting enough sleep at night, they may be impulsive
and hyperactive at school.
Goetting sees children every day who aren't getting enough sleep at night.
"With children who have not gone into puberty, the symptoms of sleep
deprivation are impulsivity, hyperactivity, mood swings, inattentiveness," he
noted.
With these symptoms, sleep deprivation can mimic ADHD exactly.
That's why Goetting claims it's important for parents to know how much sleep
their children are getting, and that most children need about 10 hours of sleep
at night.
"If adding sleep improves their function during the day," he said, "that's
further evidence their symptoms of ADHD are due to sleep deprivation."
Lack of sleep can be the cause of academic failure. For teenagers, it means
dozing off in class when they've slept far fewer hours than their bodies
require.
"During the teenage years, it's nine-and-a-half hours," Goetting said. "Most
teenagers don't come close to that."
But getting enough sleep during those years can be tough. That's because a
teenager's biological clock isn't in sync with the rest of the world.
"Typically until 9, 10 or 11 a.m.," Goetting said, "they are programmed not to
be fully alert."
And that's a problem when the first school bell rings at 7:30 a.m.
Goetting claims an earlier bedtime is difficult because teenagers aren't
programmed to be sleepy until midnight or later.
And many of the activities they enjoy at night---like video games, chatting on
the computer and the phone are stimulating.
"There should be a winding down phase to go into sleep, where there is
decreased activity and decrease light," Goetting said.
If all else fails, Goetting suggests a nap after school is better than nothing.
Some schools are tinkering with a later start time, including one Evansville
high school.