Did you know that, on average, teenagers these days are getting 6 to 7 hours of sleep? It might not be a surprise to you because you're not getting enough sleep yourself. I am pretty sure you know that sleeping gives you energy that you need to get through the day, but the problem is that you can't make yourself go to sleep at 9 or 10 PM.
Occasionally, you might catch yourself falling asleep during the day in the middle of a lecture in class. I've read about many different tips on how to give you a more relaxing sleep and a better sleeping pattern. Before we get to that, I'd like to point out a few things that might be causing you to stay up a little too late:
* Sleeping too much during the weekend.
* You enjoy watching TV shows that air late at night.
* Thinking too much while you sleep.
* Long naps in the afternoon.
Problem #1: Too much sleep during the weekend
We all love the weekend, don't we? No school and the whole day to do whatever we want. Of course, the weekend doesn't last long; it's usually just two days. Here's when the problem comes in: you sleep at 10 PM and wake up at 6 PM on school days, and then you fall asleep at 12 PM and wake up at 11 PM during the weekend. When you have to go back to school, your brain got confused about when to fall asleep and when to wake up.
During the weekend, go to sleep at about the same time you usually do on school night, but wake up at 9 AM. If you do this, your brain won't be too disturbed because that's only a few hours later.
Problem #2a: Watching TV late at night
There are two problems here, but I'll start with the first one. Sometimes, there will be a show on television that airs later than your bedtime. You want to watch it so bad, but you cannot.
If the show will air on a different day, go to sleep and watch it some other time. If it doesn't, you can tape it on your VCR (or ask someone else to do it for you).
Problem #2b: Watching TV late at night
Being exposed to television, cell phone, or computer screens a few minutes before going to bed can make it harder for you to fall asleep. Why? The lights from those screens are like the sun to your brain. I think you know how hard it is to fall asleep during the day, especially with the sun shining on your face. Work on a calm activity (drawing, reading, writing, or listening to relaxing music) for about 30 minutes, and then go to sleep.
Problem 3: Thinking too much while you sleep
We all have worries, either frequently or rarely. If you continue to think about them while you sleep, it can cause you to stay up even later. Don't keep your worries bottled up inside you for days. You can either do something to get it over with, or write it down on a journal.
Problem #4: Long naps
Long naps, as you call it, are considered short sleeps to your brain. It's okay if you're tired and just want to doze off for a little while during the day, but don't make it too long. It's important to not sleep after 4 PM and keep your naps 30 minutes to 1 hour long.
Last-minute tips:
* If you can't sleep, you can try to count sheep (hey, that rhymes!).
* Don't look at the clock while you're sleeping. It'll just make you more uneasy.
* Make sure your bedroom is comfortable. Don't put pictures of ghosts or rock bands with heavy make-ups if you don't enjoy their faces staring at you.
This has been Linds113, clicking send and off to bed (wait, I can't do that just yet!)
Author's Note: A few of these tips came from an issue of Seventeen magazine.
