People are questioning the fact that it may be true that their teenage sons and daughters may need more sleep than they did as a child, and that they are not turning into lazy, sleepy young adults by choice.

Studies show that the changes taking place in teens bodies call for more sleep and they may be physically challenged to getting up early in the morning. Their internal biological clock may slow down in adolescence. That can account for their not being sleepy until midnight. Now that child who once awoke at the crack of dawn and was eager to watch cartoons, especially on Saturday mornings, has tuned into a sleepy, young adult who has trouble waking up.

Adolescents need approimately ten hours of sleep each night to be fully alert all day, yet they average only around six - nearly a four hour deficit every night. They rarely get that much due to an early school start time, inability to fall asleep until late at night, work, social life and homework. Severely sleep deprived adolescents are moody, lethargic, and unprepared or unable to learn. Memory, concentration, communication skills, and critical creative thinking are significantly affected.

Parents need to adjust their child's sleep schedule to allow more sleep.

Get Adequate Sleep
Get close to ten hours sleep a night to be fully alert during the day. Even 7 or 8 hours would be vast improvement over the situation that commonly exists for most adolescents.

Establish A Regular Sleep/Wake Schedule
Choose a reasonable bedtime that will permit adequate noctural sleep, then keep a regular sleep-wake schedule on school nights and weekend nights. A standarized schedule across the week will actually reduce the busy teenager's total time needed for adequate sleep.

Get Exercise To Stay Fit
Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise at least three times a week will lead to better sleep. However, avoid exercise too close to bedtime, as this stimulates the body at a time when it should be winding down.

Limit Caffeine Late In The Day
No coffee or cola after 6 P.M. Even the small amounts of caffeine found in chocolate can disrupt nighttime sleep.

Eat a Proper Diet
Eat vegetables and fruits, whole grain cereals and breads, rice, pasta, fish and poulty. Limit your intake of fat. Avoid fried foods.

You should eat a basic healthy breakfast, a substantial lunch, and a light dinner. Eating protiens at dinner, such as chicken, fish, or certain vegetables will prevent hunger pains at night. Do not eat a large or heavy meal within four or five hours of going to bed.

Limit Your Time In Bed
Go to bed only for that period of time you usually need for sleep, and sleep only until refreshed. Staying in bed too long will promote shallow and disturbed overall sleep.

Overall, adolescents need to learn to value sleep in order to enjoy life to its fullest. They must do everything in their power to respect the needs of their body for rest. They owe it to themselves not to settle for anything less than being wide awake and dynamic - at their best - all day long.

Sleep tips provided by Dr. James B Maas, author of "Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind for Peak Performance"

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