Getting Back into the Swing of School

Every year as summer comes to an end and malls are filling up with new seasonal school clothes, we find ourselves overwhelmed with getting back into the school routine. However, there is more to preparing your children for school than buying school supplies and a new wardrobe. Children of all ages must prepare for the pattern of the school day, which can take days or even weeks for the bodies to adjust to the new bedtime and wake-up time.

By watching for signs of sleep deprivation, you can help your teenager. If your teen has difficulty waking up, is irritable in the evenings, falls asleep during quiet times during the day, and sleeps for extended amounts of time on the weekends, he/she is not getting sufficient sleep. Once sleep deprivation is discovered, there are steps you can encourage your children to take to guarantee healthy sleep habits. The National Sleep Foundation's Sleep and Teens Task Force has created seven tips for ensuring a healthy night's sleep for teenagers:

Get enough sleep to avoid looking tired and feeling depressed or cranky.

Create a sleep routine by going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends and holidays. If this is impossible, at least go to bed within one hour of your normal bedtime and wake up within two hours of your normal waking time. An occasional straying of this routine is unavoidable and acceptable as long as it is only for one night and rather infrequent.

Ensure that you get enough sleep by going to bed at least 8 ½ hours before the time you must wake up since most adolescents need between 8 ½ to 9 ¼ hours of sleep each night.

Expose yourself to bright light as soon as possible every morning and stay away from it at night. Light communicates to the brain that it is time to be awake.

Everybody has a unique internal clock, which is why some of us our "morning people" while others are "night owls." Learn what you are and try to adjust your schedule accordingly. If your body gets sleepy every afternoon, avoid dull or passive activities where you may fall asleep and do something physical.

Avoid caffeine and nicotine past afternoon because they are stimulants and can keep you from sleeping at night. Also, be aware that alcohol also disrupts sleep.

Make time to relax an hour before bedtime by avoiding stimulation such as television or vigorous exercise.

Go To Page: 1 2