First classes in the morning for high school teachers are typically silent. Students are distracted, daydreaming and sleepy or even sleeping. Although parents and teachers will love to place all the blame on texting, video games and eating recklessly, half of the blame falls on the amount of sleep students receive. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens require at least nine hours of sleep every night. Generally, teens average about seven and a half hours of sleep or less. This is commonly directed to students having loads of homework, part time jobs, extracurricular activities, on the computer or playing video games.

The production of melatonin(hormones that the body produces that aids in sleeping) undergoes an adjustment in adolescences. It initiates later in the day and shuts down later in the morning. This forces students to desire to go to bed later and get up later.

There are several effects on not receiving the minimum hours of sleep. This can decline their school attendance and lower academic performance. There has also been a relation of weight gain and have poor nutrition to sleep. This pertains to students having no time for breakfast in the morning and also an increase of caffeine in order to stay up. Not getting plenty of sleep is a large factor for car accidents. Half of car accidents involve drivers falling asleep behind the wheel under the age 25.

Some schools in the United States are becoming supportive of student’s sleep, so to accommodate sleep-wake cycles for students, some schools start one hour later. Schools find the change in time helps increase attendance and also improve grades.

Tips to help your teens/students sleep easier

1. Exercise – exercise daily but not too close to bedtime as this can cause insomnia
2. Modify Your Diet – stay away from caffeine or junk food.
3. Herbs/Supplements – help to increase melatonin
4. Sleep in a Dark Room – even the smallest amount of light can disrupt your internal clock
5. Sleep in a Cool Temperature – studies show that sleeping in a warm area can lead to restless nights
6. Reserve the Bed for Sleeping – it’s hard to fall asleep if you do other non-sleeping activities on the bed such as watching television, eating, doing homework, etc.
7. Set a Bedtime Routine – it’s easier to fall asleep when your body is used to a pattern every day.
8. Avoid Eating Before Bed – eating foods especially high in grains and sugars will raise the blood pressure and delay sleep.