Background

Sleeping difficulties are increasingly prevalent among adolescents worldwide and have negative consequences for health, well-being, and education. In order to develop and implement health promotion about sleep, additional knowledge is required, especially knowledge based on adolescent´s own experiences. This kind of research is currently limited. This study aimed to describe reasons for sleeping difficulties as perceived by adolescents.

Methods

This was a descriptive study, analyzing the data with qualitative and quantitative content analysis. Data was collected using an open ended question in a questionnaire; If you experience that you sleep too short, have trouble falling asleep, wake up at night or sleep not rested, please write what you think your sleeping difficulties may be due to. The participants consisted of 475 adolescents in grade nine (15-16 year), in 13 secondary schools, in a Swedish city.

Results

The adolescent´s descriptions of reasons for sleeping difficulties are understood as an imbalance between requirements and preconditions. Requirements are about performing at school, doing activities, being social both digitally and in real life, having fun, taking care of their health, reflecting on the existence and the future. Preconditions can be about having time, structure and parental support, but also an ability to set your own limits. When the preconditions are insufficient to match the requirements, an imbalance occurs where sleep loses out. Six different categories described reasons for adolescents sleeping difficulties. The most prominent reason was stress followed by technology use and then poor sleep habits, existential thoughts, needs, and suffering.

Conclusions

In order to avoid sleeping difficulties, adolescents need to deal with reasons such as stress, technology use, non-existent sleeping habits, existential considerations, needs and various forms of suffering. Adolescents need support to find a functioning balance in everyday life, dealing with these reasons. The support is needed from especially parents but also from professional caregivers. All health professionals caring for adolescents should remain vigilant regarding the important issue of sleeping difficulties, as good sleep hygiene optimizes adolescents’ capability for health and development.