Almost every day teens wander into my office tired and stressed. We usually talk about sleep during the first session. More often than not, I learn that they fall asleep around midnight and begin the day around 6:00 a.m.   Some even take a zero-hour class which means even less sleep; why schools offer that option is beyond me. Early in my career, the discussions with parents were centered around defiance and the power struggles associated with bedtimes. Now with the advent of new research on sleep, the discussions have moved more towards the importance of sleep as it relates to success. Consider the following research:

• In a 2014 survey of American high school students, over 90% were found to be chronically sleep -deprived.
• The National Institute of Health estimates that teenagers need at least nine hours of sleep per night but found that only 9 percent of high school students actually met those recommendations.
• Researchers have found that poor sleep can lead to impaired attention, concentration and short-term memory.
• A 1998 study found that students getting A’s and B’s were sleeping on average 25 minutes more than students getting C’s, D’s and F’s. ONLY 25 minutes more!
• A University of Minnesota study in 2014 found that proper sleep results in less depression and declines in tardiness, substance abuse and car crashes.
• In a 2008 study in Virginia Beach where classes started at 7:25 a.m., the car crash rate for 16-18 year olds was 41 percent higher than in a neighboring community where school start times were an hour and twenty minutes later.

But before we discuss what parents can do to help their children, let’s look at why sleep is so important. According to Robert Stickgold of Harvard University and Jeffrey Ellenbogen of Massachuettes General Hospital, sleep inproves your judgment, creativity and memory. Sleep makes you smarter. In their study, two groups of people were asked to solve difficult mathmatical problems. Both groups scored similarly. The next day the two groups were asked to solve similar mathmatical problems but this time one group was given a good night’s sleep while the other group was not. The well-rested group scored two and a half times better than the other group. Stickgold and Ellenbogen concluded that the brain is not sleeping while we sleep. Our brain cells fire in a steady rhythm and the brain continues to work on challanges. As for the results of their study, they state, “somehow the sleeping brain was solving this problem, without even knowing there was a problem to solve”.

So what can parents do to ensure that their teens are getting enough sleep? Here are some recommendations:

• First, move away from the traditional bedtime power struggle and explain to your teen how sleep effects grades, sports and extra-curicular activities. Then sit down with them and create a sleep schedule that everyone can live with.   Encourage them to set responsible bedtimes and to make these decisions for themselves.
• Monitor your teen’s bedtime more closely.       Most parents tend not to track when their teen is actually going to bed.
• Limit the use of technology immediately before bedtime and in the bedroom. One study found that 44 percent of teens use their phones before bed and many leave their phones on throughout the night. The light alone from a device screen suppresses melatonin, the hormone in the brain that signals sleep.
• Restrict the use of caffeine. In what has been described as a vicious cycle, sleep deprived teens rely on energy drinks to stay alert during the day even though it later interferes with their ability to fall asleep.
• Recognize and stress the importance of consistent sleep schedules. This is a dilemma for parents and for teens. Historically, we have looked at weekends as an opportunity to catch up on lost sleep and there is some rationale to this. However, a teen staying up until 4:00 a.m. and getting up at 1:00 p.m. only serves to disrupt their pattern and result in sleep difficulties during the school week.
• Many teenagers are over scheduled with after school activities. These activities result in shorter nights and less time to complete homework.       The end result is a delayed bedtime and the sleep deprivation we are trying to avoid.

In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement regarding the importance of sleep. In it they said, “Sleep is not optional. It’s a health imperative, like eating, breathing and physical activity. This is a huge issue for adolescents.” So teach your kids early that getting enough sleep is a key ingredient to a healthy and successful life!