Sleep Tips For Teens
A 1999 National Sleep Foundation survey on Sleep in America reported 60% of children under 18 reported being tired and 15% said they had fallen asleep in class. These are the results of millions of children experiencing problems sleeping.
Children need 9 to 10 hours of sleep every night. Insufficient sleep can result in seriously impaired performance and behavior - in school, sports and other activities. Kids need more sleep than adults so they need to sleep on a bed that provides a comfortable and healthy sleeping environment. Dr. James Maas, sleep expert and professor at Cornell University, says that kids 14 years and younger need at least 9 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. Older teenagers, despite their protestations to the contrary, should still be getting a healthy night's rest of about 9 hours because of the emotional and physical changes they are experiencing11.
Today’s teens are a sleep-deprived generation that drinks more caffeine, gets up earlier for school and goes to bed later than ever.
Some tips for kids/teens:
-- Don’t rely on caffeine to keep you awake – it’ll make it more difficult when you try to fall asleep.
-- Keep regular bedtime hours.
-- Try to limit late-night computer usage. Being on the computer stimulates adrenalin and, like caffeine, makes it difficult to fall asleep.
-- Get homework done early in the evening whenever possible.
Some tips for parents:
-- Make sure kids understand it’s important to get a good night’s sleep. Don’t sacrifice good health for good grades; it’s likely their grades will suffer without adequate sleep.
-- Encourage your kids to go to bed at the same time every night and that they get an adequate number of hours of sleep, depending on their age.
-- Let your children sleep in if they’re tired on the weekends – it’s probably not just laziness. Make sure, however, that their oversleeping isn’t because of depression or other medical problems.
