TeenHealthFX - Answers - 2nd Generation & Wants To Be Taller

Height / Question
Published: August 28, 2000

Dear TeenHealthFX,

I was about 5'5 in the 7th grade and now I'm going into 11th grade about an inch taller. During this period, I began working out and experiencing chronic insomnia. My mom is 5'5 and dad is 5'6. I want to be as tall as I possibly can be. I'm a second generation Asian and I see a lot of 2(nd) G(eneration) kids reach my full potential in height. A big question of mine is the importance of sleep because every tall person I know sleeps a lot. Please email me the answer. This question has been on my mind for awhile. I'd like to let you guys know that this website is great and very enlightening. Keep with it!

Signed: 2nd Generation & Wants To Be Taller

Dear 2nd Generation & Wants To Be Taller,

First off, you asked TeenHealthFX to email you back. We are unable to email anyone back directly as we are not set up to do this.

As far as your height goes: As seen in the "Pro-Player" answer, height is determined by three basic ideas

Your parents' heights
Your health status
Your ethnic background

For you, this sounds right on target. From your question, we are assuming you are in good health and are about average with your parents' heights and your ethnic background. However, this does not mean you will not grow anymore. A male's growth period can last until they are about 20 years old. You probably have done most of your growing already but you may get a little taller in the next couple of years.

To answer your question on sleep: Research has not shown that the amount of sleep people get has anything to do with their final adult height. This said, sleep is still very important when you are a teenager because it does affect your body's optimal functioning. You said in your question that you suffer from chronic insomnia. This concerns TeenHealthFX because this is not healthy for you physically or mentally. We recommend that you speak to your doctor about this as it may be due to stress or something physical, both of which are treatable.

Lastly, we are glad to hear you are working out. Hopefully, you are doing this sensibly with a mix of both aerobic activity (2-3 times per week) and strength training (2-3 times per week). Also, you should be eating healthy by following the "Food Pyramid". Eating healthy and exercise helps to make you feel good physically and mentally.

Signed: TeenHealthFX