Notice any changes in your pre-teen son, lately?  Sleeping later than ever?  Still awake at his “regular” bedtime?  I don’t know about you, but these days, my son is tucking me in . . . because he’s still awake with no impending fatigue in sight.  You know, it’s all about the hormones. Yeah, really, even the sleep thing is about the hormones.

There is a physiological base to his shifting sleep patterns. The bodies of our dear and precious adolescents typically release melatonin (the hormone that induces sleep) from about 11 pm to 8 am each day (“Wake-Up Calls for High Schools,” Boston Globe, 5/03).  That’s several hours after our adult melatonin kicks in. (Go figure! No surprise on that one; I can see your droopy eyes from here.)

So what else does puberty have in store for you and your not-so-little guy? Find out in my upcoming posts.