The teen is the most complicated age group. They are neither adults nor kids. Teenagers live a hectic life balancing school, family, friends and extracurricular activities. With all the activities going on, teenagers compromise their sleep which affects their overall health.

Ideally, an average teenager should sleep for nine to ten hours a day. But the studies have confirmed that teens barely sleeps seven hours a day. Loss of sleep causes direct and indirect bad effects on their mental and physical well-being.

A question that arises in every parent’s mind is exactly how much sleep a teenager should get? Parents who have teen kids are very concerned about their kids health. And, with their extensive exposure to technology, teens are losing precious sleep regularly which is not good for them.

Do you know why teens need more sleep?

According to sleep experts, teenagers need nine to nine and a half hours of sleep for their healthy development. If you look at the counts, sleep requirements for teenagers is an hour more than their younger years. Usually, as you age, the required sleep is lesser but, with teens, the number of hours increases. The reason behind this is that teens undergo their second developmental stage of cognitive maturation. Therefore, they need additional support to their brain which is developing day-by-day. Hence, sleep plays a vital role in providing enough reviving time to the brain.

It is better to identify the problems which hinder your teenage kid’s sleep and try resolving them.

If your kid is not sleeping enough, try these tips to make her/him experience at least nine hours of sleep every day.

Try Maintaining a Regular Bedtime Schedule – Most of the sleep problems arise with irregular sleeping patterns. The human body understands the patterns to develop habits. But, if your child’s sleep schedule is irregular, it can affect her/his sleep severely. Therefore, make sure your child regularly sleeps and rises at the same time.

Don’t Let Them Sleep Excessive on Weekends – Many parents make this mistake. Considering the busy schedule of their children, parents let their kids sleep extra hours during the weekends. But, this should not be practiced as it disturbs the sleep cycle of your child. Remember, you cannot cover the sleep loss of weekdays on the weekends; the human body doesn’t work that way. Ensure your child follows a sleep schedule without any break.

Encourage Power Naps – Power naps are beneficial for your child’s health. Encourage the habit of taking 20 to 25 minute naps in the afternoon. Make sure they don’t overdo this practice as it is not advisable and can harm their sleep cycle.

Restrict the Use of Electronic Gadgets – Everybody knows that radio waves are harmful to the human brain. Besides, it stimulates your teen’s brain and doesn’t allow them to sleep. Therefore, ensure your teen is not using any electronic gadget before bedtime.

Avoid Unhealthy Addiction – Addictions like caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and drugs are extremely harmful for sleep. Even adults face trouble sleeping due to these addictions. Anything that induces sleep problems must be avoided, especially a few hours to bedtime.

Keep Sleep Journals and Take Doctors Advice – Sometimes conditions can be worse than it appears. Therefore, the best practice is to keep journals to track your sleep. If you find any drastic difference in the count of sleep hours,, consider speaking to the doctor.

Conclusion

For teens, sleep is an essential requirement to strengthen their brain and body. Therefore, being a parent, it is your responsibility to help your children develop healthy sleep habits. It will help them to stay healthy and grow better.