First Day Of School: Why Can't I Sleep?

Sleep is a key ingredient in physical and mental health, and most adolescents aren't getting enough. The night before the first day of school, you’re likely to feel overwhelmed, excited, and nervous, and you may feel that there’s absolutely no chance that you’ll get to bed. This phenomenon is called special event insomnia, which is triggered by a special event outside the norm of everyday living. Adolescents undergo a shift in their circadian clocks that makes it harder for them to fall asleep until later in the night. This, coupled with the anticipation of a big day, can lead to anxious thoughts and worries about performance and energy levels. However, there are strategies to help you fall asleep, such as having a relaxing evening routine, avoiding caffeine and sugary foods, and addressing subconscious links and anxious thoughts.

Circadian rhythm disruption

Circadian rhythm is the body's natural, automatic clock that plays a role in processes throughout the body. When it doesn't work right, it can throw you out of sync with sleeping, waking up and time of day. Circadian rhythm disruption produces a loss of characteristic phase relationships in oscillatory subsystems.

Circadian rhythm sleep disorders are conditions that disrupt or affect your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. These disruptions affect how well you sleep, when you sleep and how you function while awake. They're also known as “circadian rhythm sleep disorders” or “circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders.”.

• Brain damage or disruptions in brain activity.
• Vision impairments.
• Travel.
• Work.
• Unknown reasons.

Circadian rhythm disorders can cause:

• School or work difficulties.
• Other sleep problems.
• Substance use.
• Accidents and injuries.

Circadian rhythm disorders can be treated by:

• Adjusting your lighting.
• Taking supplemental melatonin.
• Adjusting sleep-related behaviours.

Puberty and sleep

Sleep and puberty are intimately related. During puberty, there is a shift in the circadian rhythms of adolescents, making it harder for them to fall asleep until later in the night. This is known as a "sleep phase delay", where the body's internal clock is shifted by a couple of hours, signalling for sleep around 10:00 or 11:00 pm instead of the typical 8:00 or 9:00 pm. This change is a normal part of growing up and is related to the re-activation of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuronal network.

During puberty, there is a steep decline in deep sleep, which coincides with the average age of normal puberty and occurs about a year earlier in girls than in boys. This reduction in deep sleep is associated with a rise in estradiol, which directly stimulates the release of growth hormones, causing an acceleration of linear growth velocity, also known as the pubertal growth spurt.

The shift in sleep patterns during puberty can result in shorter sleep duration, irregular sleep schedules, and a greater ability to maintain wakefulness. These changes can lead to increased levels of daytime sleepiness, and adolescents may find it challenging to wake up in the morning and stay alert during the day. It is important for teens to prioritise sleep and maintain a consistent sleep schedule to ensure they are getting adequate rest.

Additionally, there are other factors that can interfere with teenager sleep patterns, such as school demands, social activities, and technological distractions. Parents and educators can play a crucial role in helping adolescents understand the importance of sleep and how to prioritise it during this critical period of their development.

Anxiety and depression

Research has shown that anxiety and depression are highly prevalent among school-aged children and adolescents, with symptoms such as nervousness, worry, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms can interfere with a student's ability to fall asleep and impact their academic performance. Studies have found a strong correlation between anxiety and poor academic achievement, with anxious students often engaging in anxious-avoidant behaviours that affect their overall performance. Additionally, depressive symptoms such as lack of motivation, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating can also interfere with a student's ability to fall asleep and perform well in school.

Furthermore, school-related factors can contribute to anxiety and depression in students. Transitions to different schools, changes in peer groups, increased workload, and social isolation can trigger anxiety and depressive symptoms. School avoidance becomes a coping mechanism for students struggling with these mental health issues, leading to chronic absenteeism and further academic challenges.

To address these issues, schools need to intervene early and work collaboratively with parents to create a supportive and empathetic environment for students. This may include providing alternative learning environments, such as smaller classrooms or flexible schedules, to reduce anxiety triggers and help students feel more comfortable. Additionally, schools should focus on training teachers to understand mental health issues and adapt mindful approaches to teaching and learning.

By addressing anxiety and depression, schools can improve student attendance, enhance academic performance, and promote overall well-being among their student body. Early intervention and a supportive school environment are key to helping students manage these mental health challenges and set them up for success in their academic careers.

Insomnia

It's perfectly normal to feel nervous about the first day of school, and it's very common for these nerves to affect your sleep. This is a type of insomnia known as 'special event insomnia', which is triggered by a special event outside the norm of everyday living. It's often caused by subconscious links created early in life, such as the fear of oversleeping and missing a bus or a shift. This is your brain's way of trying to keep you safe. Trying too hard to sleep can also make it more difficult, as it sends a message to your brain that there's a problem.

If you're struggling with insomnia, there are several things you can do to help yourself sleep:

• Address your subconscious links. Look at past events in your life where you may have made an oath or a decision to never oversleep again, and give your unconscious mind permission to change them.
• Schedule time for deliberate worry. Write down everything that's concerning you, no matter how small, a few days before your event. Then, make a list of actionable steps you can take to address your top three concerns.
• Build up your sleep drive. Sleep drive builds up over the course of the day, so you can create a big balloon of sleep drive by exercising more and getting up earlier or going to bed later a few days before your event.
• Let go of any expectations around sleep. Insomnia is largely caused by the fear of not sleeping, so letting go of the attachment to sleep and accepting that it's okay to be tired can help you sleep.

If you're struggling with insomnia before the first day of school, there are some additional things you can do to help yourself sleep:

• Get your body ready by gradually adjusting your sleeping and waking times in the week leading up to the first day.
• Get organised in advance by picking out your outfit, checking the weather, and figuring out how you're going to get to school.
• Avoid caffeine and sugary foods, which can make it harder for you to get to sleep.
• Don't save anything until the last minute—try to have everything taken care of before you go to bed.
• Have a relaxing evening with a warm bath, a calming game, or a good book.
• Turn off all your electronics at least an hour before bed, and don't sleep with your phone.
• Dim the lights—your brain uses lighting cues to set your internal body clock.

Sleep hygiene

Sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. A good night's sleep is important for your top performance and emotional health and well-being. It can be hard to fall asleep on the night before the first day of school as you are likely to feel overwhelmed, excited, and nervous. Here are some tips to improve your sleep hygiene and get a good night's sleep:

Plan in advance

Get your body ready for sleep by gradually adjusting your bedtime and wake-up time at least a week in advance. Start by going to bed and waking up half an hour earlier than usual, and gradually increase this until you reach your desired bedtime and wake-up time for school. This will help you feel tired at the right time.

Get organised

Have all your school supplies, clothes, and books ready and packed away before bedtime. Pick out your outfit for the next day, check the weather forecast, and plan how you will get to school. Having everything figured out before the big day will help you sleep more soundly.

Avoid caffeine and sugary foods

Caffeine and sugary foods can make it difficult to fall asleep as they can give you a rush of energy and make you feel hyper. Avoid consuming caffeine or sugary foods after noon, and especially stay away from sugary energy drinks. If you feel like you have excess energy, try doing some exercise to help you feel more relaxed.

Wind down

Develop a relaxing bedtime routine to help you unwind and calm your mind. This could include taking a warm bath, reading a book, listening to soft music, drinking herbal tea, or writing in a journal. Give yourself at least an hour to follow this routine before bed.

Turn off electronics

The blue light from electronic screens can interfere with the production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep. Turn off all electronic devices, such as your television, computer, and cell phone, at least an hour before bedtime. If you can't turn them off, try turning on night mode to filter out the blue light.

Dim the lights

Your brain uses lighting cues to set your internal body clock. Dim the lights after dinner and read by soft light or candlelight to signal to your brain that it's time to prepare for sleep.

Avoid intense conversations

Try to avoid any intense or stressful conversations before bedtime. Save serious talks or discussions for another day, and keep bedtime conversations light and simple. This will help you avoid staying up rehashing the conversation or feeling overwhelmed.

Think of boring things

When you're lying in bed, try to think of boring or uninteresting things to help you fall asleep. Think of things that don't excite you, such as the multiples of two, the states and their capitals, or the plot of a book or movie. Focusing on dull topics can help you drift off.

Frequently asked questions