Teens and Sleep

The following are some interesting statistics about sleeping and how it effects your performance etc. in school:

Hours (among all students ages 11 to 17):

* 20% get the recommended nine hours per night.

* 45% sleep less than eight hours on school nights.

Consequences:
This can result in falling asleep in school or while doing homework.  Some students miss school because they oversleep.

School Performance:
* Adolescents who get insufficient amounts of sleep are more likely than their peers to get lower grades.

* 80% who get an optimal amount of sleep say they're achieving A's and B's in school.

Warning Signs of Sleep Deprivation:

* Do you have trouble waking for school?

* Get sleepy or tired during the day?

* Fall asleep while doing homework?

* Sleep two or more hours later on weekend mornings?

* Behave differently after a good night's sleep?

* Rely on a caffeinated drink to wake up?  Have more than two caffeinated drinks per day?

* Routinely nap for more than 45 minutes?

Sleep Tips For Teens:

* Go to sleep and get up at the same time every day allowing for nine or more hours per night.

* Have a relaxing bedtime routine such as reading for fun or taking a bath or shower.

* Keep the bedroom comfortable, dark, cool and quiet.

* Get into bright light as soon as possible in the morning, but avoid it in the evening.

* Remove TV's and other distractions from the bedroom and limit use before bedtime..

* Avoid caffeine after lunchtime.


(Taken from an article by Felice J. Freyer in the Providence Journal, 3/28/06)