Social Ties and Adolescent Sleep Disruption, Article Review Example

Introduction

Sleep disruption has been observed as a marked feature among teens whose sleep pattern has been associated with late entry in to bed leading to less sleep and consequently higher instances of daytime sleepiness (David, 2013). This trend has further been linked to puberty timing as well as consequential decline in melatonin, with rare and inadequate consideration of the social ties attributed to youths as the most significant factor in sleep behaviors. However, sociologists have played a crucial role in identifying the existing social ties that have significant ramifications to sleep and health behaviors among the youth.

Purpose of the Research

• The relationship of social ties and adolescent sleep disruption and an examination of the relative influence of associations among the youths on activities on sleep
• Determination of developmental factors that can explain changes sleep patterns among the youths with particular interest melatonin decline that go along with developmental changes that take place at puberty.

Theories or models

The latent class trajectory model is an important model that was applicable in this research to assess the pace associated with pubertal development among the youth. In this model the concurrent observations associated with Tanner stage score was considered to be the age function. The assumptions associated with this model involves the sample being considered as a composite of discrete groups or classes that are made up of sets having similar trajectories of pubertal development that are associated with their age (David, 2013).

One of the models that have been applied in this article is the Medical Model of Adolescent. According to this model, sleep adolescence has been used to imply the period of time in the course of life that is characterized by changes in the patterns of sleep which occurs concurrently with marked growth in the autonomy of the youth as the well as their independence. In as far as the patterns of sleep are concerned, the time of retiring to bed for an average school–age child at the elementary level is 9 p.m while the time to arise is 7 a.m. when the child starts preparations to go to school. This sleep-wake pattern is constantly maintained across summer. The time of going to bed for high school teenagers is a bit later and the time to arise is much earlier (David, 2013). Adolescents require an average of 9 or 10 hours to sleep more to achieve optimal functioning. However, a fifth of students in their high school are able to make up for this sleep over the school nights.

Research Method and Sample/subjects

The research involved a longitudinal study involving a sample that was drawn from Early Child Care & Youth Development, SECCYD under the funding of Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (David, 2013). The attributes considered during the study were the physical, cognitive as well as social development of the children. The research also involved mothers who were recruited to take part in in research after they were drawn from ten catchment regions and having delivered their children in 1991. The entire geographical region was represented by a sample of 1, 364 families (David, 2013). However, this sample was not a complete representative of entire population in the United States but a comprehensive data on all aspects of development of the child to the age of 15 years was accounted for in this sample population.

Data Collection method and procedure

The data gathering method applicable in this research involved observation that was executed through data collection that helps in filling of gaps and answer questions in the study. In using this method also it was necessary to ensure that the observations were well arranged in advance. The status of development of a child and the family status were the subjects of observation in this research. The attitudes, experiences as well as behaviors were also taken in to consideration. Additionally, the physical, social as well as cognitive development of the children was tested at periodic intervals at the clinics (David, 2013).

Ethical Issues

The researcher is obligated to consider participants’ approval or disapproval of taking part in research on the basis of their individual intrinsic worth as well as unworthy as determined after carrying out the research. All the participants have a right to an informed consent in writing with regard to their participation in the research. This involves clearly informing the participant the purposes, the plausible benefits and associated risks that might are associated with their contribution prior to the research (David, 2013). Ethical values are therefore given due consideration in this research. Another important ethical issue relates to the willingness or otherwise of the participant with regard to answering the questions as they appear in the questionnaire. In case a participant fells that answering a particular question is not to his/her best interest, then the research is obligated to honor and acknowledged the decision of the participant. Additionally, the confidentiality of any participants was not to be compromised upon in any way. The researcher was also obligated to adhere to the selected interview period with no efforts to deliberately lengthen the period of interrogation

Measures/variables

The level of melatonin is one of the variable factors in this research. The prime developmental factor that affects the sleep patterns among adolescents is puberty which is triggered by a decrease in the level of melatonin as individual approaches puberty. This consequently leads to later bedtimes, shorter durations of sleep as well as prolonged daytime dysfunction. In this respect, puberty is not considered as a categorical state; however, its occurrence is characterized by secondary sexual features maturation (David, 2013).

Results

From a social context point of view, the lives of the youths are significantly affected by sleep habits. Considering the family ties, the youth witness break up among their parents that consequently brings about stress that shortens their sleep during the school nights coupled with elevated disruptions of sleep. More findings indicated that, the resources within the family have significant implications on sleep among the youth. An increase in family income leads to longer sleep during school nights. The social control of parents also enhances the sleep habits of the youths. The increase in the efforts of monitoring by parents as the youths transform from elementary level to high school level also elongates the duration of sleep among adolescents during night schools and also decreasing sleep disruptions (David, 2013).

Summary statement

The process of transition in to puberty is associated with sleep disruption which is attributed to sexual maturation that has a close connection to a decline in melatonin thus making the teens to behave like the ‘night owls’. As is common with all types of research, limitations are a common occurrence and this particular research was not an exception. In this research therefore, the duration of sleep for the teens was based on bedtimes and the time of arising in readiness to attend school. However, this study failed to reflect on the measure of exact time that teen were expected to arrive at their schools in addition to the time used to commute to and from school. This served as an important challenge that needs to be addressed as an avenue to stimulate additional research on the relationship of teens sleep to their well being (David, 2013). Reference

David, J. M., ( 2013). Social Ties and Adolescent Sleep Disruption”, Journal of Health and Social Behavior 54(4) 498–515.