Homeroom Zombies

Homeroom Zombies

NEWSWEEK

Email To A Friend

Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.

SPONSORED BY

Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Teens who exercise regularly, maintain a healthy diet and avoid alcohol tend to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer than those who don't. (The same is true for adults.) Teens who smoke or use chewing tobacco should quit for many reasons, but getting better sleep is an additional motivation. Nicotine is a stimulant that can disturb sleep.

Take naps. Buildup of some sleep debt is inevitable—given most schools' yawn-inducing start times and the obstacles to falling asleep at 11. Teens who routinely get much less sleep than they need can make up for some of the difference with a nap after school. To prevent nighttime sleep disruption, teens shouldn't nap longer than 60 minutes or in the evening after dinner.

Set rules. Forbidding teens to drive after 11 p.m. (when they're most likely to nod off) won't win Mom and Dad any popularity contests, but it can save lives.

Be alert for sleep disorders. Teens may suffer from the same disorders that prevent adults from getting a decent night's sleep. These include obstructive sleep apnea (a nighttime breathing disorder), narcolepsy and restless-legs syndrome.

Provide a good example. If parents are staying up late and battling sleep deprivation with gallons of coffee, why should teens follow their advice to get a good night's sleep?

Above all, don't give up. Boyle, the teacher in Massachusetts, talks one-on-one with students who repeatedly fall asleep in class about the importance of sleep and calls parents if the problem continues. "These aren't bad kids," she says. "Often, they're highly motivated, spending hours on homework and also working to save money for college. If you talk to them, you can have a big impact."

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.

Member Comments

- Reply
- Report Abuse
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.
- Reply
- Report Abuse
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.
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: emjim @ 01/24/2008 5:49:43 PM

oh, and I have a life.