Marco is a typical adolescent. which of the following statements is most likely true about his sleep

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Highlights

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First longitudinal study on the association between sleep trouble and ENDS use.

Past year sleep trouble increased risk of initiating ENDS use in following year.

Healthy sleep serves as a protective factor against ENDS uptake for youth.

Nearly half of youths aged 12–17, experienced sleep troubles during wave 4.5.

Sleep classes for youth/delayed school start times may help deter future ENDS use.

Abstract

In a recent study, we demonstrated a relationship between self-reported sleep deprivation and youth susceptibility to initiate electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use; however, we were hampered by cross-sectional data. This study builds on our previous work by performing secondary analysis using the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study datasets from wave 4.5 (2017–2018) and wave 5 (2018–2019) among respondents aged 12–17. Using a longitudinal cohort design, we assessed the extent self-reported sleep troubles at wave 4.5 related to transition from never-to-ever ENDS use by wave 5. We assessed youth who reported never having used any type of tobacco previously and who reported not using alcohol or other illicit substances the previous year. We ran four Poisson regression models on the dependent variable never-to-ever ENDS users at wave 5 and self-reported sleep troubles in the past year at wave 4.5. We controlled for demographic and sociographic factors and, in our final model, tobacco availability in home, exposure to ENDS advertising on social media, past year anxiety, depression, body mass index, physical activity, close friends that use ENDS, perceived harm of ENDS, school performance, sensation seeking, and the susceptibility of youth to initiate ENDS. Even when controlling for these factors, sleep troubles at wave 4.5 significantly and positively related to ENDS initiation by wave 5 (Past year sleep trouble: RR = 1.48 95 % CI = [1.14–1.93]). This key and novel finding has important implications for preventing youth ENDS use via protective self-care and social-environmental approaches.

Keywords

Adolescents

ENDS

Vaping

Sleep

Susceptibility

© 2022 KDH Research & Communication. Published by Elsevier Inc.

What to expect

Adolescents are notorious for not getting enough sleep. The average amount of sleep that teenagers get is between 7 and 7 ¼ hours. However, they need between 9 and 9 ½ hours (studies show that most teenagers need exactly 9 ¼ hours of sleep). Teenagers do not get enough sleep for a number of reasons:

• Shift in sleep schedule. After puberty, there is a biological shift in an adolescent’s internal clock of about 2 hours, meaning that a teenager who used to fall asleep at 9:00 PM will now not be able to fall asleep until 11:00PM. It also means waking 2 hours later in the morning.

• Early high school start times. In most school districts, the move to high school is accompanied by an earlier school start time. Some high schools start as early as 7:00 AM, meaning that some teenagers have to get up as early as 5:00 AM to get ready for and travel to school.

• Social and school obligations. Homework, sports, after-school activities (often occurring during the evening), and socializing lead to late bedtimes.

As a result, most adolescents are very sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation will impact on many aspects of your teenager’s functioning:

• Mood. Sleep deprivation will cause your teenager to be moody, irritable, and cranky. In addition, she will have a difficult time regulating her mood, such as by getting frustrated or upset more easily.

• Behavior. Teenagers who are sleep deprived are also more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors, such as drinking, driving fast, and engaging in other dangerous activities.

• Cognitive ability. Inadequate sleep will result in problems with attention, memory, decision making, reaction time, and creativity, all of which are important in school.

• Academic performance. Studies show that teenagers who get less sleep are more apt to get poor grades in school, fall asleep in school, and have school tardiness/absences.

• Drowsy driving. Teenagers are at the highest risk for falling asleep at the wheel. Drowsy driving is the most likely to occur in the middle of the night (2:00 to 4:00 AM), but also in mid-afternoon (3:00 to 4:00 PM).

How to help your teenager get enough sleep

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule. Your teenager should go to bed and wake up at about the same time each day. Her sleep schedule should also ensure adequate time in bed.

• Avoid oversleeping on weekends. Although catching up on some sleep on the weekends can be helpful, sleeping in until noon on Sunday will make it hard for your teenager to get back on a school schedule that night.

• Take early afternoon naps. A nap of 15-20 minutes in the early afternoon can be beneficial.

• Turn off televisions, computers, and radios. Television viewing, computer-game playing, internet use, and other stimulating activities at bedtime will cause problems falling asleep.

• Avoid caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and drugs. All of these cause sleep problems.

• Contact your teenager’s doctor. Speak to your adolescent’s physician if she has difficulties falling asleep, snores, or seems excessively sleepy during the day. 

Adapted from: Mindell JA & Owens JA (2003). A Clinical Guide to Pediatric Sleep: Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Problems. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.