The Sleep Deprivation Dilemma
Symptoms include anxiety, depression and often closely mimic ADHD
The most significant mental health risk facing today's youth is not what you think.
Talk to teens or college themselves, and even parents and many teachers and counselors, and you'll hear common themes of issues faced, including anxiety, depression, and struggling to organize and focus due to ADHD.
They are not wrong, of course. America's youth face these issues at epidemic levels not seen before, yet here's one culprit which fuels those issues that’s often missed:
Sleep deprivation.
With so much distraction, starting with a smartphone and extending to parents and schools, which demand time and attention today at unprecedented levels, teens and young adults rarely get enough consistent sleep to allow critical rest and regeneration time for their minds.
Consider that most teens and college students today go to bed some two hours later than we did as youth, yet activities start the next day at the exact times as years before. The demands, however, are much more intense than years before, including year-round practice, A's only in school, social lives, and perfection in general. Also, consider that quality sleep matters more than quantity, and it's common that teens are on medications, including Vyvanse, which impacts sleep or have distractions, including a smartphone in the bed with them at night.
The result is a nation of zombie youth, too often yawning across days filled with busy schedules that start early and end late.
Studies have shown that sleep deprivation erodes our emotional foundation, presenting symptoms including less joy, happiness, and contentment, along with added anxiety and worrying. Additionally, focusing is more difficult during sleep deprivation, which we didn't need to study.
Read more about this topic and others tips for parents in my book Things Have Changed. You can find it here.
Let's say I'm writing a book, deep in a manuscript daily, and my sleep is interrupted on just one night by travel or a late-night activity. The next day, and likely the next, I'll crack open the computer to write but find myself staring at the screen, unable to craft because of shattered focus.
Now, think of college students, young adults, and school-age teens who face that distraction almost every single day. Observing their behavior, we'd assume they have ADHD and need medication, given a powerful stimulant like Adderall or Vyvanse to jolt them into focus so they can perform at desired levels.
They'll take the drugs and get better focus results because, trust me, as someone who once took prescription Adderall and Vyvanse, you can't help but focus, even if you were just up all night the night before.
The problem, however, is that young, developing minds then face sleep deprivation and torched adrenal glands, and you have to wonder if it's burning the candle at both ends, which ultimately leaves little to nothing left.
If this sounds dramatic, consider that when I visit schools and interact with students and parents, the anxiety expressed around anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and AHDH (keeping up) is intense. Sleep deprivation, which can contribute to and even cause all of the above, is typically not on their radar. However, when I ask the youth directly what issues they face, fatigue is a consistent answer. And, when I ask parents to verify that their teens are consistently tired, they usually react strongly, laughing, affirming, like, oh yes, they are, all the time!
It's the same for adults, too. When I turned my life around 13 years ago after a prolonged battle with anxiety, depression, and ADHD, a focus on consistent quality sleep became part of my routine. It's non-negotiable for me, which involves turning down some opportunities while also making sure I don't have sleep-distracting agents like alcohol in my system.
The result is that almost every morning is a good morning, and I have barely experienced anxiety or depression in 13 years, while ADHD has become more of an asset than a detriment. I can easily focus on projects that hold my interest much better than most others, and I'm rested and comfortable enough to speak up and out and turn down what doesn't hold interest.
Years before, when I tackled the issue with medication, it turned my mind into a pinball machine, and everything went haywire.
These days, the only medication I desire and take is some morning coffee.
That's why a primary message I share with students or parents concerned about the behavior and performance is to start at the top, assessing sleep and then doing something about it.
Tips for solving such problems for college students or teens involve having them help find the solution (telling them what to do never works). I find they all want more rest; it's just that their generation is wired against it, consistently, at least.
Binge sleeping is not a remedy.
For instance, if you tell them to put their phones up at night, they'll push back. But get them involved in the solution, and they'll often come to that conclusion. Other solutions include easing schedules and demands and changing the evening home routine.
Still, it's critical to have them develop the plan and then assess over a month or a few to see if there's been improvement in how they feel each day and then go from there. _________
A new A Little Crazy with David Magee podcast episode dropped today and the guest is — my sister! Ruthie Lindsey joins to talk about how we found one another five years ago and what that’s been like, as well as revealing her journey back to joy after battling crippling pain and opioid over-prescription.
Hope you’ll give this episode a listen and share.
Nailed it. I’d add that this is common with many of the teens with IDD and Autism that I work with, particularly the ones that identify as night owls who still have to begin their days early. The answer is simple, but they often resist prioritizing sleep over social media or other screen time.
Thank you so much for this article. I don’t know how Substack sent it to me by email, perhaps based on my search history. But I am dealing with this very issue daily and nightly with my teenager. I’ve just downloaded your [most recent, perhaps] book on audible. Can’t wait to listen and read more from your experience. Thank you!