"I Want to Sleep, but I Can't": Adolescents' Lived Experience of Sleeping Difficulties.
Malin Jakobsson, Karin Sundin, Karin Högberg and 1 others
PMID 33063632WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents with sleep difficulties described a cycle of frustration, fear of missing social cues, and school stress.
They struggled to unwind due to social media and ruminative thoughts, leading to daytime fatigue and irritability that affected their performance and relationships.
Key findings
01Participants described difficulty unwinding because they felt they had to process the day's events or feared missing out on social media interactions, leading to a sense of being trapped between the need for sleep and the need to belong.
02Nighttime rumination involved harmless thoughts growing into concerns about school performance, social acceptance, and future success, which prevented sleep onset.
03The next day, participants experienced fatigue, irritability, and reduced focus, which they perceived as making them a 'worse self' and hindering their school and social functioning.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (n=16) and not randomly selected, limiting transferability. Participants were from a specific demographic area in Sweden, which may not reflect other cultural contexts. The study relied on self-reported experiences without objective sleep measures. None of the participants had sought specialist care or used sleeping pills, so the findings may not apply to those with more severe or treated insomnia.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding was provided by the Foundation Tornspiran Sweden.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings apply to adolescents with severe clinical insomnia or those on medication, as none of the participants had sought specialist care or used sleeping pills.