Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8450 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016 If you’re the parent of a teen, then you know that teens today are faced with busy schedules and heavy demands. Depending on the individual teen, they may handle their load with ease, but most have to hone their ability to manage time and cultivate self-awareness, self-discipline, and prioritization. Think about a teen’s typical school day. They usually wake up early and go to bed late (with no nap in-between). They’re faced with the demands of schoolwork, taking the “right” coursework, excelling in sports, band, choir, cheerleading, drill team, theatre, or some combination thereof. They strive to be on the right committees, and they look for ways to “get ahead” so that they have multiple college options. Whew! They’re also dealing with the daily pressures of pleasing their parents, social expectations, home environment influences, sibling relations, while at the same time processing societal and social media messages. Then, there’s the underlying desire to feel accepted and wanted by their peers and their “crush of the week.” Regardless of what activities they do, there’s over-scheduling, constant pressure, and then sleep deprivation that negatively impact their ability to perform physically, emotionally, and mentally. So, what can a parent do to help? You may not be able to free your teen from the pressure, but you can help them manage their sleep so that their body and mind are ready to face the challenges of the next day. A recent National Academy of Science study showed that the average high school student is getting 7 hours of sleep (and 26 percent sleep 6 hours or less) per night during the week. This study also revealed that the average teen needs around 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Some studies suggest that adolescents (from puberty until 20 years of age) need 9.2 hours of sleep. This means that our teens are starting their day with a sleep deficit. Dr. Owens, a pediatric sleep specialist at Children’s National Health System in Washington states, “Insufficient Sleep Deprivation and Over-Scheduled Teens by Dr. Melanie Ross Mills | Contributor WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR TEEN’S LIFE? TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TEEN'S SLEEP HABITS.