Sleep Cycles: Teenagers Vs Adults — Is there a ‘correct’ pattern?

We spend almost one-third of our lives sleeping. Sleep is such an integral part of our lives, yet it is not discussed enough. Night after night, teenagers struggle to get adequate sleep, and this negatively affects their emotional, physical and mental health along with attention spans and cognitive functioning. Adults end up prioritising careers over rest and eventually become workaholics with increased stress and deteriorated critical thinking. 

For the past two years, my sleep schedule has been all over the place. I sleep late, wake up early and then take a 3-hour afternoon nap. Or if I don't want the afternoon nap, I keep myself awake to sleep early at night. My goal has been to get 8-9 hours of sleep total every day, regardless of when I sleep and how long I sleep for that specific time. 

Well, it is quite ironic that I’m writing this blog on my laptop at 12:36 am, isn't it? I have tried being a morning person before but have never emerged victorious in a fight with my natural rhythm.

To help improve the sleep cycles of both adults and teenagers, we must understand the patterns entirely. The internal clock — the body’s circadian rhythm, is a 24-hour biological cycle that helps us regulate physiological processes like sleep, hormone release and body temperature. It uses cues like light to maintain synchronisation with the light-dark and night-day cycle. Are you a night owl or early bird?

For example, my friend Abha would fall under the term ‘night owl’ as she says, “My sleep cycle makes me naturally sleepy around 10:30 pm. If I miss this time, my brain delays sleeping until about 1 am. Sleeping at 10 pm supports better attention, good mood and learning, but sleeping at 1 am causes sleep debt that can impair my focus, memory, and emotional regulation, especially when waking up at 6:30 am for school.”

In contrast, my friend Aadya would be considered an ‘early bird’ as she says, “I sleep at 9.30 pm on weekdays and wake up around 5.30 am. My sleep routine has been very strict since I was young due to training schedules, and so I just got used to it. It feels normal now.”

Being a night owl as an adult

As a night owl, an adult faces hardship trying to get adequate sleep. Night owls are people who are more productive, creative and focused in the evening and night. This chronotype is a biological tendency — it is not a bad habit. However, it can be troublesome since night owls are forced to function in a world designed for early risers. Adults may experience social jetlag and be disoriented during the day. 

You wake up groggy, drink two (maybe three) cups of coffee and are met with a more chirpy, upbeat coworker who is already six checks into their to-do list. The worst combination is to have a desk job and be a night owl, as prolonged exposure to screens at such late hours is harmful.

Why do teenagers stay up so late?

Teenagers are chronically sleep deprived largely due to biological changes in their body’s internal clock and increased exposure to electronics.

WWMG (Western Washington Medical Group) Sleep Medicine physician Dr. Robert McCoy explains that during adolescence, an individual's internal clock (circadian rhythm) lengthens beyond the usual 24 hours, hence the cycle shifts 2 hours ahead. This natural change is called the sleep delay phase. Individuals tend to stay awake longer and sleep in later and so it gets difficult to get sufficient sleep and be productive in the morning. 

Constant, 24/7 use of electronics — phones, laptops, gaming, texting, texting, social media, gets the brain addicted to the reward system created by short term dopamine release. Screens emit blue light waves that mimic natural light, confusing the brain and altering the body’s light-dark cycle causing teenagers to stay awake for longer.  

Something that most people miss when attempting to transition from being a night person to a morning person is that although they can wake up before the sun hits the horizon, go for a run and have a healthy breakfast ready, the day can be draining. This is because they are unable to settle down in the evenings and night, again leading to sleep deprivation and worse sleep quality. Inconsistency while changing cycles is common and there will be times when your early riser routine will last only a week, and you reset to being a night person. 

There is nothing wrong with being an early bird or a night person. However, as a night owl, you will face challenges to get enough rest and adjust with the society and world’s clock. Alas, if only the world revolved around us, we would all be happy. But don’t worry, there are ways to improve your night routine for the better.

How can night owls become early risers?

A major factor is light exposure. Get your body used to the dark in the later hours of the day and feel the sunlight in the morning so that the body knows its wake-up time. For teenagers, be mindful of having short naps, limit your use of electronics on your own accord; make sure to exercise but avoid it a few hours before bedtime. If you are an adult, schedule your demanding work for the evening (not late nights), avoid high intake of caffeine before bed, and if possible, have flexible work hours and learn to prioritise your sleep.

A note for both adults and teens, this transition is slow, so don’t be discouraged if you aren’t seeing immediate results. Let’s all work towards a personalised and healthy schedule.

“Sleep is the most innocent creature there is and a sleepless man the most guilty” – Franz Kafka  

By Saee Patankar G11