A study in the Journal of Pediatrics has found that the hormonal changes of puberty in girls can create a time of substantial risk for the development of insomnia.
The researcher’s data came from a random sample of 1,014 adolescents who were 13 to 16 years of age in the city of Detroit Michigan. The study was conducted with adolescents who had a history of insomnia, and who also reported they currently had insomnia.
In an exploratory analysis between insomnia and puberty development, the onset of menstruation (menses) was associated with an increased risk for insomnia that was three times greater. There was no difference in the risk for insomnia among girls before menses onset.
The researchers concluded that Insomnia seems to be common and chronic among adolescents. The study found that there is often a gender difference in risk for insomnia, and it seems to emerge in association with the onset of menses.
Teenagers are a special breed, having to face all the challenges of being in an in-between stage of life; not quite a child anymore and not yet an adult. Along with an acceleration of social interests and activities, they also sustain accelerated physical growth and increased nutritional needs.
Given the consequences of sleep deprivation among teenagers, including blunted mental acuity, poorer school performance, and even poorer physical and emotional health, prevention and treatment may need to become “important priorities”, the study researchers say.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 90% of teen girls and 70% of teen boys are not getting enough calcium. Their bones are growing the fastest during the teen years and they need more calcium than at any other time of life. This calcium deficiency can translate into irritability, nervous tension, hyperactivity, and teen insomnia.
Due to a deficiency of crucial minerals at the teenage time of life, calcium and magnesium supplements can be an effective sleep remedy. One natural insomnia remedy that’s gaining in popularity for all ages is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs. It contains potent forms of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, all combined with heart-healthy rice bran oil in a rapidly absorbed softgel formula. Softgels that combine oils with the minerals are digested more thoroughly than tablets or capsules.
Wendy R. of Honolulu, Hawaii says: “My friends know that I’ve had chronic insomnia for a long time. I was surprised — I received the Sleep Minerals II and began taking it and I actually slept. In the past if I ever got a good nights sleep I’d say “I slept like a baby”, but that’s the wrong comparison. Those little guys get up every two hours, but I don’t anymore.”
With insomnia being common and chronic among teenagers, let’s help them get the nutrition and sleep that they need.
For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit this web page.
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