Teen FAQ
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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > General Health Questions > Sleep and growth
Posted on: 08/30/2007
Question
i'm 13 and i think i have insomnia. it takes me at least 45 minutes to fall asleep and i only sleep for like 7 and a half hours (i sleep for 10 on the weekends though). so i was just wondering if i have insomnia and if not sleeping can affect my growth?
Answer
Most teens need about 8 to 9 hours of sleep every night. If you're sleeping less than what your body needs, you will cumulate "sleep debt" and would have to catch-up by falling asleep in class or sleeping-in on weekends. However, varying your sleep pattern may disrupt your circadian rhythm (internal biological clock) , which may lead to other problems such as insomnia, inability to concentrate, poor memory, depression, anxiety, irritability, poor athletic performance, falling asleep behind the wheel, etc. Sleep deprivation can also suppress your growth hormone and may theoretically affect growth to some extent (based on research in "Clinical Endocrinology", Volume 51 Issue 2 Page 205, August 1999). But sleep is only one of many factors that affects growth. Your adult height is determined mainly by your genes. To learn more about sleep, check these sites: www.pamf.org/teen/health/diseases/sleep.html. And www.sleepfoundation.org/.