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Despite all these obstacles, parents can play a huge role in helping adolescents get the right amount of sleep. Here are some tips:

Educate your kids about sleep.Teens need to understand that their bodies require at least nine hours of sleep a day in order for them to do their best in school and enjoy their social lives. Explain that even a brief spell of short sleep raises their chances of feeling irritable and anxious, and experiencing minor ills such as headaches and stomach problems.

Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule. This conditions the body to expect to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Teens should have a regular bedtime on school nights and should avoid staying up more than an hour later on weekends.

Develop a pre-sleep routine. This sets the stage for sleep. Wind down with nonstrenuous activities such as reading, listening to relaxing music or taking a shower. Avoid bright light in the evening, which signals the brain to stay alert. That includes TVs and computer screens.

Monitor late-night activities. Keep TV and videogames in the family room, not the bedroom. Teens are less likely to stay up late if these entertainment options are less accessible. Moving these activities out of the bedroom also gives parents a more realistic picture of when their kids really go to sleep.

Limit caffeine intake. Sleep-deprived teens increasingly rely on coffee, soda and caffeinated energy drinks to stay awake during the day. High caffeine intake can make it harder to fall asleep, perpetuating a cycle of bad sleep and daytime fatigue. Adolescents should drink no more than two caffeinated drinks a day and none after 5 p.m. They should also steer clear of stimulant medication as "study aids"; these do not take the place of sleep.

I'm just started my freshman year of college, and I'm still trying to get used to the amount of free time I have. When I was in high school, particularly senior year, I rarely got more than 5-6 hours of sleep, often less. I worked every day after school and all day Saturday's at my family's business, and after that job I would leave to teach lessons at a music store. I took several AP classes, and I was the editor of the yearbook, in NHS, and on student council. I rarely got home before 10oclock, often 11. I understand the importance of sleep just as much as the next person but I don't understand how I was supposed to fit in on top of everything else I was supposed to do. I regularly hear people and educators touting the importance of sleep, but at the same time they demand that I take part in a thousand different activities so as to make myself "competitive" for colleges. Granted, I'm sure people would argue that I didn't need to be involved in so many things, but what did they expect me to do when every time I turn around someone is telling me how I have to work harder, be better, and be involved in more things or else I won't have a chance? Also, this article seemed to go on and on about the successes of school's that had later start times. I don't think they understand that it's NOT just school that makes it hard to keep up. I have a big family, and my familial obligations, including helping out in my family's business consumed a huge amount of my time. I could go on forever but my point is that although I'm sure Epstein is a smart guy and did a lot of research, making these tips work for me in high school was simply not an option. I didn't stay up all night text messaging 50 different people or catching up on The Hills (which is what everyone seems to think every teenager watches), I was helping my family and trying to get into a good college.

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Posted By: mimilove @ 09/11/2009 11:34:11 AM

There's a simple solution. Coffee. Or drop AP. you have your whole college to take AP.
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Posted By: Chimbada @ 10/15/2008 12:18:34 AM

I'm just started my freshman year of college, and I'm still trying to get used to the amount of free time I have. When I was in high school, particularly senior year, I rarely got more than 5-6 hours of sleep, often less. I worked every day after school and all day Saturday's at my family's business, and after that job I would leave to teach lessons at a music store. I took several AP classes, and I was the editor of the yearbook, in NHS, and on student council. I rarely got home before 10oclock, often 11. I understand the importance of sleep just as much as the next person but I don't understand how I was supposed to fit in on top of everything else I was supposed to do. I regularly hear people and educators touting the importance of sleep, but at the same time they demand that I take part in a thousand different activities so as to make myself "competitive" for colleges. Granted, I'm sure people would argue that I didn't need to be involved in so many things, but what did they expect me to do when every time I turn around someone is telling me how I have to work harder, be better, and be involved in more things or else I won't have a chance? Also, this article seemed to go on and on about the successes of school's that had later start times. I don't think they understand that it's NOT just school that makes it hard to keep up. I have a big family, and my familial obligations, including helping out in my family's business consumed a huge amount of my time. I could go on forever but my point is that although I'm sure Epstein is a smart guy and did a lot of research, making these tips work for me in high school was simply not an option. I didn't stay up all night text messaging 50 different people or catching up on The Hills (which is what everyone seems to think every teenager watches), I was helping my family and trying to get into a good college.
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Posted By: emjim @ 01/24/2008 5:49:43 PM

oh, and I have a life.