Abstract
Sleeping difficulties are increasingly prevalent among adolescents and have negative consequences for their health, well-being, and education. The aim of this study was to illuminate the meanings of adolescents’ lived experiences of sleeping difficulties. The data were obtained from narrative interviews with 16 adolescents aged 14–15 in a Swedish city and were analyzed using the phenomenological hermeneutic method. The findings revealed four themes: feeling dejected when not falling asleep, experiencing the night as a struggle, searching for better sleep, and being affected the next day. The comprehensive understanding illuminates that being an adolescent with sleeping difficulties means it is challenging to go through the night and to cope the next day. It also means a feeling of being trapped by circumstances. As the adolescents’ lived experiences become apparent, the possibility for parents, school nurses, and other professional caregivers to support adolescents’ sleep increases.
Highlights
Sleeping difficulties are increasingly prevalent among adolescents and have negative consequences for their health, well-being, and education
Sleeping difficulties are recognized as an international public health issue (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2014; Chattu et al, 2018; Gradisar et al, 2011; Louzada, 2019)
The term sleeping difficulties has been used in a wide range of contexts and covers many problems related to poor sleep (Ghekiere et al, 2018)
Summary
Sleeping difficulties are increasingly prevalent among adolescents and have negative consequences for their health, well-being, and education. The comprehensive understanding illuminates that being an adolescent with sleeping difficulties means it is challenging to go through the night and to cope the day. It means a feeling of being trapped by circumstances. The negative consequences of inadequate sleep have been revealed in several systematic reviews (Crowley et al, 2018; Shochat et al, 2014; Sun et al, 2019) These consequences include obesity; mood disturbance with the risk of depression and anxiety; behavioral problems, such as aggression or impulsivity; negative school performance, such as reduced learning ability, memory impairment, and. 7 3 Classes, 48 adolescents 8 Boys, 3 girls 1 Boy, 1 girl 7 Boys, 2 girls hyperactivity; and increased risk-taking related to alcohol, drugs, and driving
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
