The mission of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) is to improve the quality of health care in jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities. Earlier this year, its board of directors adopted a position statement on adolescent sleep hygiene.
Adolescent insomnia is often related to medical comorbidities (including sleep apnea, particularly among obese youth and those who snore loudly) as well as the following risk factors often found in incarcerated youth:
- Psychological conditions (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, depressive and other mood disorders)
- Poor sleep hygiene (e.g., inconsistent sleep schedules, caffeine)
- Acute stress/family disorganization
- Substance use (especially marijuana, alcohol, psychostimulants)
