Our Blog
Sleep deprivation among young people increases cases of bruxism, persistent fatigue, headaches and jaw tension.
This reality isn't just reflected in numbers. It's also evident in consultations. Dr. Sofía Rodríguez Moroder, a dentist specializing in craniomandibular dysfunction, orofacial pain, and dental sleep medicine and head of the CráneoSalud clinic in Valencia, says that more and more adolescents are coming in with clear signs of poor sleep quality: bruxism, persistent fatigue, headaches, and jaw tension.
Adding to this trend is another worrying fact: 63.1% of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 admit to having sleep problems. Furthermore, among those who have already been informed of these problems, 40.9% say they have not been able to resolve them, revealing their increasingly frequent chronicity.
Bedtimes also play a key role. Only 10% of adolescents go to bed before 10:30 PM. 27% go to bed between 10:30 PM and 11:00 PM, 43% between 11:00 PM and 11:30 PM, and 20% after midnight or later. The next day, 42% get up between 6:30 AM and 7:00 AM, another 43% between 7:00 AM and 7:30 AM, and only 5% after that time. This routine results in a chronic reduction in nighttime rest.
According to the data collected, current sleep schedules do not match the real sleep needs of adolescents. Most go to bed late and must wake up early, resulting in chronic sleep deprivation. This situation directly affects their physical and emotional state, resulting in fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. In this context, Dr. Gonzalo Pin Arboledas, coordinator of the Sleep and Chronobiology Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics and involved in current research on youth sleep, has warned that lack of sleep directly affects adolescents' academic performance, self-esteem, and mental health, increasing the risk of anxiety, depression, and emotional disorders. According to studies he coordinated, up to 30% of adolescents may present some type of sleep-related disorder.
In her consultation, Dr. Rodríguez Moroder detects how this lack of rest also manifests itself physically. Problems such as bruxism, jaw tension, and tension headaches are increasingly common in adolescents, often without a specific prior diagnosis. She explains, "when the body doesn't rest, the muscles remain on alert. The mouth reflects this with symptoms that are often confused with isolated dental disorders."
Both experts emphasize the importance of recognizing the signs of sleep disturbances from an early age and agree that a coordinated clinical and educational approach could help prevent these disorders from becoming chronic. Monitoring cases within families, healthcare providers, and schools is key to mitigating their long-term effects.