Why Your Teen is Tired: Insights from a Psychotherapist

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino dives deep into the pressing issue of sleep deprivation among tweens and teens, highlighting it as a silent epidemic that significantly impacts their mental, emotional, and physical health.

Expert psychotherapist Heather Turgeon, Registered Marriage and Family Therapist, sleep specialist, author, Generation Sleepless: Why Tweens and Teens Aren't Sleeping Enough and How We Can Help Them, and mother of 2, emphasizes that today's teenagers are the most sleep-deprived generation in history, often missing out on crucial hours of restorative sleep due to hormonal changes, device usage, and early school start times.

As parents and caregivers, it's essential to recognize the importance of communication and discipline in establishing healthy sleep habits, fostering independence while guiding our children through the challenges of social media and peer pressure.

Turgeon shares practical strategies for families to implement, including the significance of a wind-down routine and understanding the brain's need for sleep to function optimally. By prioritizing sleep, we can better support our teens in maintaining their overall well-being and addressing issues such as bullying and mental health.

Takeaways:

• Today's teenagers are experiencing unprecedented sleep deprivation, impacting both their physical and mental health.
• Device usage before bed significantly disrupts sleep patterns, hindering emotional and cognitive functioning.
• Establishing a consistent bedtime routine can help teens regain much-needed sleep and improve focus.
• Parents must communicate openly with their teens about the importance of sleep health.
• Early school start times clash with teenagers' biological clocks, exacerbating sleep deprivation issues.
• Hormonal changes during adolescence require more sleep for healthy development and emotional regulation.

This podcast is for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to learn proven strategies and trusted tips on raising kids, teens and young adults based on science, evidenced and lived experience.

In this podcast, we explore the impact of hormonal changes, device usage, and social media on discipline, communication, and independence.

You’ll learn the latest on topics like managing bullying, consent, fostering healthy relationships, and the interconnectedness of mental, emotional and physical health.

Links referenced in this episode:

• whereparentstalk.com