Teens need more than nine hours of sleep each night. But most teens do not get enough due to their overbooked, overstressed and overworked lifestyles. In one study, only 15 percent of teens reported sleeping eight and a half hours on school nights. Young people today tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week, especially on busier homework and activity nights and on weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep. Also, their natural sleep cycle puts them in conflict with early school start times, putting additional importance on good sleep habits.
During sleep, a restorative state, the body’s “batteries” recharge. Inadequate sleep cannot only limit the ability to learn, listen, concentrate and solve problems, but can also lead to aggressive or inappropriate behavior, impact healthy eating habits, and contribute to illnesses.
Older teens who drive must be alert and attentive behind the wheel, and improved sleeping habits can help them achieve that important goal.
The following are some tips for parents, so they can help their teenagers get those necessary zzz’s and avoid some of the negative impacts of inadequate sleep:
• Make sleep a priority and make a bedtime and wake-up time plan, and make your teen stick to it as much as possible, even on weekends. Not only will the teen get more beneficial sleep, but it should also be easier for her to fall asleep at a regular time.
• Help your teen make time-management changes in order to get to bed on time. This can mean organizing the time spent on homework, nighttime, school and sports activities, and even downtime. Sometimes the answer is to simply cut out or skip some activities.
• Establish an “off” time for the computer and electronic devices, as teens can spend extra hours into the night surfing, texting and viewing instead of sleeping. Ideally, computer gaming activity should cease at least two hours before bedtime.
• Make sure your teen avoids eating, drinking, or exercising within a few hours of bedtime. Stick to quiet, calm activities, and falling asleep will be easier.
Parents should set a sleep plan when their kids are young, and be consistent about following it as their children grow older.
Helping your pre-teen with good sleep habits will make it easier to sustain healthy patterns through the teen years.
Dr. Frank Coletta is the co-director of pulmonary medicine and respiratory therapy at South Nassau Communities Hospital and co-director of its Center for Sleep Medicine.
South Nassau’s Center for Sleep Medicine [1420 Broadway at Erick Avenue in Hewlett, NY, (516) 374-8830].
