Most teenagers do not get nearly enough sleep. Adolescents
average only 6 - 7 hours per night, but they actually need about
9 hours to function at their best. The typical pattern for sleeping
is to go to bed late during the week, and then sleep extra long
hours on the weekend. "Catching up" on the weekend is
a sign teens are not getting enough sleep. Teens fill their days
with school, jobs, and social activities, and therefore do not
have enough time to sleep. Signs of insufficient sleep include
irritability, declining grades, falling asleep in class, inability
to stay awake while studying, and falling asleep while driving.
Here are some tips for teens on how to get a full
night's rest:
Set regular bedtimes and wake up times. If you
need to sleep nine hours and you get up at 7 am, then you should
try to get to bed by 10 pm.
Be consistent about your schedule — even
on the weekends. Experts recommend not going to sleep more than
one hour later than usual on the weekends. (This is especially
important when you're gearing up for exams.)
Allow 30 minutes of quiet, relaxing activity
before bedtime every night. Reading is a good choice. Video
games are not.
Say no to that Coke after dinner. Avoid caffeine,
soda, and other substances that might disrupt your sleep.
Is talking on the phone keeping you up too late?
Explain to your friends that you need your sleep, and don't
take calls after 8 pm. (The same rule goes for TV and the Internet.)
Make your sleeping environment physically comfortable
and psychologically pleasant.
Resist the temptation to use pills when sleep
becomes a problem.
Remember, sleep is not a waste of time. It's
as important as good nutrition
and exercise.
If you are a Munson Healthcare patient and have a compliment,
concern, or complaint, please contact one of our Patient
Liaisons.
