It has been estimated that we spend 25 years of our lives sleeping. It sounds like a lot, but it's necessary. Getting adequate sleep improves both our physical and mental conditions. Because they are still growing, teenagers need an average of nine hours of sleep each night -- and failing to get enough sleep has been associated with teen depression and thoughts of suicide.
A Jan. 13
Contra Costa Times article by Tom McMahon provided the following suggestions for helping to ensure that your teen is getting enough sleep:
- Reading before bedtime is a good way to transition into sleep.
- Teens sleep better in cool, quiet and dark rooms.
- Encourage your teens to catch up on sleep on the weekends.
- Exercise daily.
- Do not allow any caffeine or sugar after 5 p.m.
"Explain to your teen the benefits of sleeping an hour or two more than usual," McMahon advised. "[When well rested] you become energized and happier, more alert and creative, and you can concentrate better on a project, you accomplish more, you feel better and you will be refreshed and perform more efficiently."
Labels: parenting, sleep, mental health, depression
Posted By: Aspen/CRC
