Parenting SA: Sleep and teenagers

Topic of the Month - November 2017

Why is Sleep so Important?

During the school year the question of how much sleep is enough and what the impacts of high school students who don't get enough sleep night to night comes up regularly.  Not only is it such a necessity with daily functioning, but it impacts learning, behavior, emotional regulation, and overall productivity.  

Here are some suggestions that may be helpful if you are tired of always feeling sleepy:

• Have a relaxing bedtime routine. Always fall asleep in your bed, and not in front of the television. At bedtime, your room should be cool, dark and quiet.

• On weekends, no matter how late you go to bed, try to get up within 2 hours to 4 hours of your usual wake time. This is especially important if you have trouble falling asleep on Sunday nights

• Try to be in your bed with the lights out at least 8 hours per day. Many teens need 9 hours or 10 hours to not feel sleepy during the day.

• Try to go to bed at about the same time every night.

• Open the curtains or turn on the lights as soon as you get up in the morning.

• Get exercise every day, but avoid very hard exercise in the evening.

• Make sure you are not overscheduled. Have you taken on more than you can do? Do you still have some time for fun and getting enough sleep?

• Avoid all products with caffeine (coffee, tea and colas) after mid-afternoon.

• Avoid napping during the day. If you do, keep it short (less than 30 min). Definitely do not nap after dinner.

• Have a light snack (such as a glass of milk) before bed.

• Use your bed for sleeping only. Do not do homework, watch television or spend time talking on the phone while in your bed.

• Avoid using any products to help you sleep (including herbal products or over-the-counter sleep aids).

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528821/)