Parents Blog
Homeroom Zombie?
Do you have a Homeroom Zombie living in your house? The September 17, 2007 issue of Newsweek featured a health article dealing with the amount of sleep a teenager needs…I thought you would enjoy it and possibly benefit from the highlights as we begin the second week of school.
According to the article, sleep deprivation among teens can be so bad some teachers are afraid to dim the lights and show videos in class or one third of the students fall asleep! Exhausted teens get dragged out of bed in the morning and zone in and out of consciousness during class…
“Adolescents who don’t get enough rest have more learning, health, behavior and mood problems than students who get at least nine hours a night. In some cases, teens may be incorrectly diagnosed with ADHD when sleep deprivation is actually the source of their symptoms. Perpetual lack of sleep is tied to diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression and a shortened life span in adults, underscoring the importance of establishing good sleep habits early in life.” Parents, that’s us too, and the older I get, the more precious and rare a good night’s sleep is!
According to this article and the studies it reviewed, more than half of students sleep seven hours or less, and almost one in five get less than six hours. Multitasking is to blame for some of this as students juggle jobs, music, sports and other extracurricular activities. Television, videogames, phone calls and texting may keep them up until late at night. Is your teen making 2 am phone calls or text messages to friends? Are you sure? I have personally talked to Moms who have had this happen.
According to the article, the body’s internal clock shifts at puberty, making it hard for a teen to fall asleep before 11 pm. Most teens have to get up by 6:30 to make it to class on time. Do the math. Playing catch up on weekends does not help.
What can parents do? Here are the tips from the article.
- Educate your kids about sleep. Even a brief spell of short sleep can cause irritability, anxiety, headaches, and stomach problems.
- Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule. Condition your body to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Teens should avoid staying up more than an hour later than regular bedtime on weekends.
- Develop a pre-sleep routine. Wind down with reading, relaxing music, or taking a shower. Avoid bright light, including TV and computer screens!
- Monitor late-night activities. Keep TV and videogames in the family room, not the bedroom.
- Limit caffeine intake. Sleep-deprived teens increasingly rely on coffee, soda and caffeinated energy drinks to stay awake during the day. This can make it harder to fall asleep at night, perpetuating a cycle.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and avoid alcohol. Nicotine is a stimulant that can disturb sleep.
- Take naps. Buildup of some sleep debt is inevitable with school’s early start time. A nap after school can help. But don’t nap longer than 60 minutes or after dinner in the evening.
- Set rules. No driving after 11 pm.
- Be alert for sleep disorders. It’s possible your teen has an adult-like sleep apnea (snoring!), narcolepsy or restless-legs syndrome.
- Provide a good example. If parents are staying up late and guzzling gallons of coffee, why should teens follow their advice?
- Don’t give up – teachers can make an impact by talking with their students if the problem continues. Ask at parent-teacher conferences!
