So the kids are back at school, back to routines and schedules. Well for most parents this means early to bed for the younger ones but when it come to the teenagers getting them to settle isn't so easy. Teenagers no matter a pre teen or young adult all have the inclination that they are grown up and deserve to be treated as such, which means they feel they can stay up as later if not later then you the parent. Parents this is a big mistake, facts show that almost 90% of youth between the ages of 11 to 17 years don't get the proper amounts of sleep needed. In fact about 70% of adults have the same problem.
I know being a parent isn't easy especially if you have teenagers in the house, but health is important, and sleep just as much. At this stage in the young ones life changes through out the body and brain are occurring, sleep helps these processes work their best. Sleep helps the body to relax and even repair things like aches, pains and stress, and believe you me teens no matter what they say teens are stressed. Sometimes they won't even know they are stressed, that's when the unintentional mood swings occur. As well puberty takes a huge toll on a teen, for clear thinking and healthy energy sleep is very important.
So how often should your teen be sleeping? At least 9.5-10 hours a day, I know it seems like a lot but even an adult should get 8-9 hours a night. Sometimes us adults have to go with out because of responsibilities, and other times it's because we are to busy to get what's really important, like home and health.
Anyway, the question is, why is your teen losing so much sleep? Well like most teens these days access to computers, television, cell phones and ipods are the cause. These tiny bits of technology are keeping at least 50% of kids awake longer then they should. Other reasons include overload of homework, after school activities, jobs, family, stress and delinquency.
As parents and caregivers we try to set good examples by working hard, eating right and hopefully getting a bit of exercise, and now we have to teach good sleeping habits as well. Set a good example by not watching Tv all night, turning computers down at a certain hour, have some peace before sleeping and bring the house to rest. And, if your children or teens still need more sleep, let them sleep in on the weekend, not all day but a few extra hours can help more then hurt. Always remember health matters…
