Adolescents today aren't getting the adequate amounts of sleep and the culprit is said to be their increased span of time spent on smartphones and laptops says a new study.The study led by Jean Twenge, PhD, a San Diego State University professor of psychology, says young adults are increasingly trading their sleep for smartphone time, which could prove to be a problem for their overall health and cognitive abilities.
Sleep experts have time and again stressed on the importance of eight hours sleep in a day. Teenagers are not able to complete their required and quota of slumber which any less than 7 hours is considered to be insufficient sleep.
The study published in the journal Sleep Medicine, examined from 2 long-running, nationally representative, government-funded surveys of more than 360,000 teenagers. The wide spread survey (by The Monitoring the Future) asked students in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades how frequently they got at least 7 hours of sleep, while the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey asked 9th- to 12th-grade students on how many hours of sleep they got on average.
After combining the data from the two surveys, the researchers revealed that about 40% of adolescents in 2015 slept less than 7 hours a night, which is 58% more than in 1991 and 17% more than in 2009.
The study further revealed that the more the times these teens spent on their phones, laptops and other digital devices the lesser the sleep they got. Teens who spent 5 hours a day online were 50% more likely to not sleep enough than their peers who only spent an hour online each day.
Researchers revealed that around 2009, the smartphone addiction amongst teens skyrocketed, taking direct toll on their sleeping time. Previous research have also noted that the light wavelengths emitted by smartphones and tablets can interfere with the body's natural sleep-wake rhythm.
Adolescence is often said to be the most crucial stage in the development of human body. The body undertakes maximum changes both physically and mentally around this time, hence it is even more important to be extra cautious of the diet, physical activities and sleep cycle. Here are 5 Nutrients teenagers must load up on for better development.
1. Calcium: During the teenage growth spurt you develop one quarter of your adult bone density, hence teenagers must load up on calcium to ensure maximum bone density is achieved.
2. Proteins: Consuming proteins is very essential for teenagers to ensure their bodies get the proper nutrients for their growth and development of brain and muscle tissue. Amino acids also play an essential role in serving as building block for hormones. About ten to 30 percent of your calories should come from protein foods such as meat, poultry, fish, nuts and eggs.
3. Folate: There are a number of vitamins essential for teenage years. One of the most crucial for girls is folate. Folate helps in protein metabolism, cell growth and division and formation of red blood cells. All of these are extremely crucial in growing years. The RDA for folate is 400 micrograms per day. Dark leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, avocado, and amaranth flour are great sources of folate.
4. Iron: Iron forms an important component of muscle and blood and is essential to carry oxygen around the body. Iron intake is especially important for teenage girls as they are at a relatively higher risk of developing iron deficiency as they begin to menstruate. Some iron rich foods are meat, green vegetables, fish, nuts and beans.