Getting a good quality night's sleep is essential for the health and well being of young adults. However, video games, Facebook, email, instant messaging and late night TV can all take a bite out of precious sleep time for teenagers, while early start times at school, homework, social life, sports and after school jobs are all big contributors to lack of sleep. Here are a few tips to help your teen get the sleep he or she deserves.
If you're wondering why it takes a superhuman effort to wake your slumbering teenager each morning, recent studies show that the changes taking place in a teenager's body require them to get more sleep than before puberty. A teen's internal biological clock is delayed in secreting the hormone melatonin (which initiates the sleep process) until 11 p.m. or later.
Teenagers and adolescents need to learn to value sleep as well as understand that, in order to enjoy life to its fullest, they must give their body adequate rest. Talk to your teen about the importance of sleep and the effect that lack of it will have on their quality of life and performance at school and in sports.
To be fully alert and physically active during the day, teenagers need between nine and 10 hours sleep a night. Unfortunately, many teenagers average only between five and six hours, which leaves a daily sleep deficit of more than three hours.
Your body has one biological clock, which cannot differentiate between school nights and weekends. Select a reasonable bedtime that will permit enough sleep at night and make sure that this schedule does not vary by more than one hour – every day of the week. Try to strike a happy medium between activities and relaxation when setting a sleep schedule for your teen.
If your teen has a hard time falling asleep at night or complains that they do not get tired until the early hours of the morning, make sure that their sleep schedule is not being interrupted by after school naps. Naps – especially long ones – can affect a good night's sleep, and often leaves the person tossing and turning while trying to fall asleep. Remember a well-rested person should only take 15- 20 minutes to fall asleep at night.
Exercising for between 30 and 60 minutes at least four times per week will lead to better sleep. However, it's a good idea to avoid exercising too close to bedtime since this stimulates the body at a time when it should be winding down.
Since even the small amounts of caffeine found in chocolate can disrupt nighttime sleep, it is advisable to avoid drinking any caffeinated beverages after 2 p.m. during the day.
Teenagers' rooms can often resemble a biohazard zone or a post hurricane disaster center. A bedroom should be a place where one can relax and wind down. Stressful activities requiring concentration, such as homework and studies, should be performed elsewhere in the house. Allow your teen to use the study or dining room table to complete their work. Make sure also that your child's room is dark and quiet while they are sleeping.
Make sure your teen's diet includes vegetables and fruit, whole-grain cereals and breads, rice, pasta, fish and poultry. Encourage them to eat a good, healthy breakfast, limit their intake of fat and help them avoid fried foods. Eating proteins such as chicken, fish, or certain vegetables will prevent hunger pains at night. It is also advisable to avoid eating a large or heavy meal within four or five hours of going to bed.
Sleep deprived adolescents are often moody, lethargic, and either unprepared or unable to learn. Memory, concentration, communication skills and critical and creative thinking can all be significantly impaired by lack of good quality sleep. This is why parents need to adjust their child's sleep schedule to allow more sleep.
- Think long-term. Teens can experience dramatic growth spurts, so choose a mattress that he or she can grow into.
- Involve your teen in the purchasing decision. Go online and ask what brands and styles they like. It'll save you time in the store, too.
- Be realistic with your budget. Experts say that a quality queen-size mattress should cost from $800 upwards.
- Dress appropriately. If you bring your daughter to a store to try out new mattresses, bear in mind that climbing on and off beds in a skirt can be awkward or embarrassing.
- Take your time. Always remember that the right mattress is more important than the mattress right now!
Looking for a mattress that provides comfort and support? Simmons offers a wide range of mattresses to choose from, including:
Simmons Beautyrest® is a sleep system specifically designed to provide a night of refreshing, undisturbed sleep. All Beautyrest® mattresses feature Pocketed Coil® springs, which reduces the transfer of partner movement and adjust individually to the weight and contour of your body. Select models feature Smart Response™ Pocketed Coil® technology, which features a unique Dual Action Design. The tapered top provides exceptional conformability and pressure relief, while the barrel-shaped lower section offers individualized levels of back support for your unique body form – even as you change position during the night.
Specially-designed to provide the ideal combination of comfort and support, the Advanced NxG® Memory Foam memory foam in a Simmons® ComforPedic® mattress not only responds quickly to your movements, it also dissipates heat to help keep you at your ideal sleeping temperature – all night long. Plus, there's no break-in period and no more feeling like you're sleeping in quicksand.
Comfort and support. Who says you can't have both? Combining the comfort of memory foam with the support of Smart Response™ Pocketed Coil® springs, Simmons Beautyrest® NXG® offers the best of both worlds. The Pocketed Coil springs adjust individually to the weight and contour of your body, and since they aren't tied together, there's no chain reaction of movement when you turn or move. At the same time, Advanced NxG® Memory Foam dissipates heat to keep you at your ideal sleeping temperature.
The natural rubber tree-based latex in Simmons® Natural Care® mattress is soft yet supportive to help eliminate pressure points across your entire body. Latex is not only a supremely comfortable and supportive material, it is also extremely durable, hypoallergenic and naturally dust mite, mold and mildew resistant.
