PETALING JAYA: As physical classes resume, it’s important that children get the right amount of sleep for their health.

       Many teenagers are not getting enough sleep. What many aren’t aware of, however, is that their biological clocks are pushed forward, causing them to have a “forward-placed sleep cycle”, says Sleep Disorder Society Malaysia treasurer Dr Raymond Tan Suan-Kuo.

       He said the common misconception of lazy teenage behaviour is a natural and biological occurrence, as this shift in their sleep cycle is causing adolescents and teens to sleep and wake up later.

       “They are unable to fall asleep at regular bedtimes (10pm), and their bodies push them to stay up longer, to about 11pm.”

       Dr Tan said although this shift is natural for teenagers, they should still try to re-regulate their body clocks to get the right amount of sleep.

       “This is especially important for teens as it affects memory, learning ability, immune system and more. Good sleep can also help with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

       “Studies from Hong Kong sleep experts showed that a later school start time is an effective intervention in improving adolescent sleep and health.

       “Results showed that with a delay of 15 minutes in schools’ start time, students slept a little longer, were late to school less often and showed better mental health and focus,” he said in an interview.

       Dr Tan said many schoolchildren may have trouble adjusting to waking up early again when physical classes resume.

       “The average adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep. Primary school students need nine to 10 hours of sleep, and teenagers need eight to nine hours,” he said.

       He advised parents to help their children adjust their sleeping schedule according to regular school times and re-regulate their body clocks a week or two before classes resume.

       “Try to get them to sleep earlier, just like how you adjust your body clock before flying off to other countries with different time zones,” he added.

       Dr Tan also said students should also steer clear of foods that contain caffeine such as chocolate, soda, coffee or tea after 6pm, and they should also get daily exercise to regulate better sleep cycles.

       “Parents should let their kids exercise after school for at least 30 minutes to an hour a day.

       “Being cooped up at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic affects teens’ sleep cycles, as exposure to sunlight helps stabilise melatonin, which is an important hormone in sleep regulation,” he added.

       He said naps are also an important part of regulating good sleep for students, as it helps improve their memory and power of understanding, creativity and problem-solving skills.

       “Students should take short naps in the afternoon, approximately 30 to 45 minutes, but they should keep it to below an hour.

       “This is to prevent them from experiencing the full sleep cycle and waking up with sleep inertia that affects their bedtime at night.”

       He also advised students to stop burning the midnight oil, as studies have shown that it would affect their focus and lead to potentially worse academic performances.

       “Many teens are used to pulling all-nighters to study, then relying on caffeine to keep them awake the next day.

       “As the human body clock regulates our physiological processes, constantly readjusting and fighting it harms our immune system and reduces the number of natural killer cells, which causes the body to be more prone to infections and cancers,” he added.