Teenage Sleep

The Facts About Teenage Sleep

Although the amount of sleep each person needs is different, scientists have spent a lot of time studying the amount of sleep that people need at different ages. Pre-teens and teenagers need about 8.5 - 10 hours of sleep every night. As children become teenagers, the "clock" inside their body changes. Once a teen, sleep patterns change. They might stay up later and sleep later. That's normal! But since school usually starts early in the morning, Lauren Kaminski in her blog, Outside The Girl Box for Chicago Now, has some tips to help teenagers sleep better and wake up rested.

Teenagers and Sleep – Teenage Sleep Tips

If you are a teen or the parent of one, here are some easy teenage sleep tips:

Pick a bedtime and stick with it.
If you go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time in the morning, your body will start to get used to it. Even on the weekends, try to go to sleep within an hour of bedtime and don't sleep in for more than an hour or two.

Get a sleep-time routine.
About an hour before bedtime each night, turn down the lights and start to relax. Change into your pajamas. Pack up your backpack and make your lunch for the next day, and pick out what you'll wear in the morning. If you shower or take a bath at night, do it now. If you use the same routine to unwind every night, your brain will start to figure out that these things mean bedtime is coming. During this time, stop texting and turn off the computer, cell phone and TV. All those gadgets can get your brain wound up again.

Skip the soda.
Plan your study time earlier in the evening so you don‘t have to pull too many late-nighters. Using caffeinated beverages like soda or coffee too close to bedtime will keep you wide awake for hours, but your productivity and ability to concentrate the next day will suffer. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that pulling an all-nighter during midterms and finals decreases the ability to cram in new facts by nearly 40 percent, due to a shutdown of brain regions during sleep deprivation. Rule of thumb: don‘t procrastinate on your studies, and don't drink anything with caffeine after 4 p.m.

Create the perfect bedroom for sleeping.
Most people sleep best in a dark room that is cool. Shut the blinds and curtains and, if you can control the thermostat in your room, lower it slightly – or turn on your fan. If you're chilly at first, pile on the blankets until you get settled. Keep the TV off! Extra noise can keep you from getting the best sleep. If you need noise to sleep, stick with soft, soothing music.

With just a few simple changes, you or your teen can get good night's sleep in no time!