Teenagers seem to be more susceptible to sleep texting. This observation may be biased by the fact that they more often use text messages to communicate during the day in general. Teens may even use texts excessively, so that it becomes an important component of their daily lives. In addition, teens are more likely to fall asleep later (as part of delayed sleep phase syndrome) and the use of the cell phone may pass some of this time early in the night. They may also be more likely keep their cell phones close to them at night, both for late-night communication as well as to preserve their privacy.
Ideally, no one should sleep with a phone. This can be disruptive to your sleep environment, either through text messages or phone calls. In addition, it might keep you awake as you chat with others, play games, or surf the internet on smart phones.
Anyone who has a problem with sleep texting might also benefit from observing better sleep guidelines. In particular, it will be important to eliminate sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation may fragment your ability to sleep soundly, so that the overlapping states of consciousness occur more easily. In addition, the use of Ambien or other hypnotic medications should be avoided because these might affect your memory and awareness while allowing you to perform complex behaviors, including texting.
Most people will find that simply removing the cell phone from the bedroom is enough to stop those errant text messages from being sent. It will also help you to sleep better and wake refreshed.