Correlation of Melatonin Onset Time, Daytime Sleepiness and Sleep Related Movement Disorders in Transdanubian High School Trainees

Written by Buda Botond, Tóth Gábor, Borbás Ágnes, Buda Bálint

Recent publications on sleep patterns of the Hungarian teenage population are only sporadically available. Data concerning the circadian rhythmicity, stature and the prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and sleep related movement disorders among 13–18-year-old Transdanubian adolescents are presented in this paper. A linear positive correlation has been found between the estimated melatonin onset time and the severeness of daytime sleepiness. Coexisting restless legs syndrome seems to worsen EDS. Adolescents require at least as much sleep (8.5 to 9.25 hours each night) as they did in praepubertal phase. However, most teenagers are physiologically not ready to fall asleep until 11:00 p. m. In high schools, according to the authors’ opinion, a shift towards a first bell time as late as 9:00 a. m. is to be considered.

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