Teens, sleep and depression

Ask someone to picture a teenager's sleep habits and what you'll hear is usually much more of the "I can't get him out of bed" variety than anything having to do with insomnia.

A new long term study, though, indicates that the seeds of chronic insomnia in adulthood might be sown in the teen years. The study, conducted by Dr. Jules Angst, of Zurich University Psychiatric Hospital in Switzerland, looked at sleep habits over a 20-year period, and found that teens who suffered from occasional bouts of insomnia often became adults with more frequent insomnia symptoms. Forty percent of the teens studied had what was described as chronic insomnia as adults.

Subjects with insomnia that lasted two weeks were also much more likely to report major depressive episodes throughout the study. This association was even stronger in women.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) provides the following advice for getting your rest. I'm not sure too many of them fit in with the average teen lifestyle, though.

- Follow a consistent bedtime routine.
- Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.
- Get a full night's sleep every night.
- Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, as well as any medicine that has a stimulant, prior to bedtime.
- Do not bring your worries to bed with you.
- Do not go to bed hungry, but don't eat a big meal before bedtime either.
- Avoid any rigorous exercise within six hours of your bedtime.
- Make your bedroom quiet, dark and a little bit cool.
- Get up at the same time every morning.