AAP Releases Report on Excessive Sleepiness in Adolescents

[Guest guest]

AAP Releases Report on Excessive Sleepiness in Adolescents ...

American Family Physician Tue Jul 19 18:53:00 CDT 2005

 

 

AAP Releases Report on Excessive Sleepiness in Adolescents

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a technical report on the

causes and consequences of adolescent sleepiness. The report, which is based on

a meta-analysis, appears in the June 2005 issue of Pediatrics.

 

Inadequate sleep has become a widespread problem for adolescents. Physicians

have an important role in identifying adolescent patients at risk for inadequate

sleep and in providing counseling and support to help manage sleep-related

symptoms.

 

Common causes of sleepiness in adolescents include normal changes that occur

during the transition into adolescence (e.g., varying sleep/wake times, relaxed

parental control of bedtimes, changing school start times). Many adolescents

also have part-time jobs that cut into their sleep time. Studies have shown that

the biological system that regulates circadian rhythms may change during

adolescence, creating a later timing of sleep. Because of these changes,

adolescents get less sleep than they did as children. Insomnia, narcolepsy,

idiopathic hypersomnia, restless legs syndrome, and numerous medications are

also common causes of inadequate sleep in adolescents.

 

Lack of sleep can affect adolescents' cognitive function, concentration and

attention, alertness, and ability to perform in school. Studies have shown that

many adolescents who have sleep disorders also have symptoms of

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adolescents with clinical mood

disorders, especially severe depression, report higher incidences of sleep

disturbance. Sleepiness is also the leading cause of motor vehicle crashes among

drivers 16 to 29 years of age.

 

The AAP concludes that physicians should recognize the significant problem of

sleepiness among their adolescent patients. Physicians need to ask questions

about sleep patterns, how much sleep their adolescent patients are getting, and

if they are having any sleep-related symptoms. A sleep history should focus on

the following points:

 

• Bedtime problems

 

• Excessive daytime sleepiness

 

• Awakenings during the night

 

• Regularity and duration of sleep

 

• Sleep-disordered breathing (e.g., loud snoring)

 

 

At the least, the AAP recommends educating adolescent patients about their sleep

needs and the detrimental effects of sleep loss on performance and health.

 

CDC Issues Statistics on Percentage of U.S. Population Lacking Health Insurance

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued statistics

on the percentage of persons younger than 65 years without health insurance in

the United States. These statistics appear in the April 22, 2005, issue of

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and are available online at:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5415a4.htm.

 

According to the CDC report, 16.5 percent of persons younger than 65 years lack

health insurance. Of these, approximately one fourth have never had health

insurance and one fourth have been without health insurance for more than 36

months. Being without health insurance is linked to reduced access to preventive

health care and less consistent care for chronic health conditions.

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Some causes of excessive sleep may be low functioning

of thyroid and/or adrenal gland/s or the

tyrosine-dopamine dependent depression

Ratan.

--- DitziSis <mk2967 wrote:

 

> AAP Releases Report on Excessive Sleepiness in

> Adolescents ...

> American Family Physician Tue Jul 19 18:53:00 CDT

> 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

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