Teens and Sleep

Teens on average need eight to ten hours of sleep, but only 15 percent of teens claim to get at least eight and a half hours of sleep. So, how do we fix that? At the end of the day we can only help ourselves if we want to be helped. Trust me, I know that going to school, going to work, doing chores and completing homework doesn’t exactly set us up for an eight-and-a-half-hour sleep schedule, but our busy schedules should not stop us from keeping our bodies and minds healthy. When you wake up in the morning it takes roughly 15 minutes to fully wake up after a night’s sleep. So, to make sure you have enough time to do what you need to do in the morning, you should wake up 15 minutes earlier than you usually do.
Food! I know you have heard it many times before, but breakfast is important. The food you eat does help you get ready for the day. Here are a couple foods that are important to consider for breakfast: APPLES!! Apples contain quercetin which is an antioxidant that actively protects braincells. EGGS!! Eggs contain chlorine, which I know sounds weird, but the chlorine from the eggs help support brain and muscle function. NUTS!! Nuts are a beneficial snack throughout the day. They contain high levels of magnesium. But most importantly… DRINK YOUR WATER! In order to keep your body and mind healthy, you should take these following things into consideration.
Getting enough sleep does not necessarily mean you are healthy if your sleep schedule is off. And no, that does not mean getting 8 hours of sleep a night, it means going to bed at the same time every night as well as for when you wake up. Train your body to wake up at a certain time; eventually you will not even need an alarm clock! As well as certain foods, exercise helps with sleep and helps keep you on track. You may think that your five hours of sleep was enough, but really your body and mind are only suffering. A side effect of not getting enough sleep is a lack of concentration. Your ability to learn and listen are also affected. Sleep deprivation can also cause acne, and, well, who wants that? It also tends to make you moody.
Solutions to these problems include making sleep a priority. For instance, when deciding between studying and sleeping, most of the time you should decide on sleep. You gain more knowledge when you sleep after studying then if you were to study all night and cram four hours of sleep in. Splitting up your study time and taking naps in between is extremely beneficial. A clean, dark room will also help with getting more sleep. Try your best to get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast in the morning!