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Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Teenagers > Teens & Sleep

14-year-old averages 5-6 hrs of sleep per night

Feb 2008

We have a 14 yr old who can not self regulate to get 9+ hours of sleep each night. When younger bed time no problem. Now, doesn't get to bed before 1:00AM. Averages between 5-6 hours per night. Teen feels it is the only free time they have. Stays up reading or sneaking the computer. Have locked up computer but wonder if that really helps teen to self regulate. Have any suggestions?
concerned parent

Often kids will stay up because they are unable to calm their mental activity down enough to get to sleep. Neurofeedback is very helpful in helping the nervous system make the transition more smoothly. See the website eeginfo.com Carl
My advice is not to worry. Most teens only get 5 to 6 hours a night of sleep anyway and then catch up on the weekends. It's the same with many adults. When I was a teen I remember staying up until 1 am listening to the radio (long before there was an Internet) while doing homework, etc. Locking the computer is probably a good idea. Anon

Wake-up time on weekends

May 2007

A friend with 2 teenagers told me that she doesn't let her kids sleep past 10am on the weekends - too much 'sleeping away the day' or something. I've always let my (teenage) kids sleep until they wake up on the weekends - I figure they get up early every weekday, their bodies must need the rest. But now that she mentioned it, I wondered if it's a good idea. What do you think?
wake up call?

If her schedule permits (she often has commitments), we let our 15-year-old sleep in until her body tells her she's had enough. Everyone needs recharging. The only caveat: a reasonable bedtime (11-11:30) even on weekends, so that her system doesn't go too much out of sync.
Mom
Oh for crying out loud, let your kids sleep!!! Studies from NIMH and others suggest that the school schedules of our kids, versus their natural sleep needs are so whacked out it's no wonder they can't focus in school. Let them sleep. Let them get a good night's sleep, if only on weekends. Let them do what you would do if you were relentlessly asked to perform. Just Let Them Sleep. They'll get up and they'll be healthy for it -- when they're ready.
Wish I'd been able to sleep in!

12 year old needs help falling asleep

Oct 2006

Help! My 12-year-old daughter can't fall asleep on her own! She is taking long-acting medication for ADD so that might be a factor, but the truth is she has never been a good sleeper, and always refuses sleepovers, trips away from home and sleepaway camp because she is worried that she will not fall asleep and will be awake all night in a house/bunk full of sleeping people. She told me just last night (when she couldn't sleep and I wanted to!) that she doesn't ''know how'' to fall asleep. Any ideas? I'd even be willing to take her to a clinic if there is one that deals with such problems. She is starting to really feel bad that she can't spend the night away from us and frankly, my husband and I could use a break too! Mother of a night owl

Your daughter sounds very much like my 13 year-old son. He takes medication for ADD but, like your daughter, has never been a great sleeper. The trick is to get them to accept that it is OK not to be sleeping and not to feel all alone if they are awake while others sleep. My son listens to audio tape books and the sound of the human voice can feel like company. When he is at friends' houses or camp, he takes his IPOD. He can listen to music with headphones and could (but hasn't yet) downloaded books to listen to. It took him awhile to stop feeling anxious about being awake and it may be that your daughter will, as she matures, reach this place. Good luck. Jocelyn
I have a 12 year old daughter that also has trouble with falling asleep. We found something by accident recently. For years, I've been laying down with her when she goes to bed, and often falling asleep myself. Something that has made a huge difference (but is an unplanned surprise) is a kitten. The cat cuddles up to sleep with her every night, and they are both out in minutes. We also leave a low level light on, or the computer for light/sound. With the help of the kitten, she is now quite independent about bed time. Works much better than the stuffed animals! anderson
Nothing that a 2 hour daily soccer practice wouldn't cure. Probably'd get her off the ADD meds too. Sean
I sympathize. Sleep deprivation is awful, and young teens already have a hard time with their circadian rhythms shifting later than the school schedules permit.

You may get some responses suggesting behavior changes (afternoon exercise, nighttime reading or stretching or shower, nighttime ritual like talking together, music tapes in the dark, yoga, self-hypnosis, no TV watching before bed, not having a 1st period class so teen can sleep later in the morning) or dietary changes (chamomile tea or warm milk at bedtime, or carbs like fruit or bread, but no protein or sugar, after dinner).

I got a chamomile-based pill called Calm-forte at the natural food store at El Cerrito Plaza that the staff said was appropriate for younger teens. It helped my kids. Now that my son is 16 he occasionally takes melatonin before bed. You can get that cheaply at Trader Joe's. Either pill may be a placebo, but I don't think they're harmful. However, you might want to check with your doctor or pharmacist regarding drug interactions with food or supplements. good luck

I would be concerned as to whether the ADHD medication dosage is proper. As one who is generally critical of the use of stimulant drugs in children, I am very sensitive about kids who, while on this medication, have trouble with normal sleep cycles. Sleep deprivation (Inormal cycles) can be as harmful to the learning process as so- called ADHD. I would recommend consultation regarding the drug regimen. Robert
I am appalled by the negative messages about ADHD that have appeared in the last few newsletters. I am a psychotherapist who has treated both adults and kids with ADHD for many years. To say it is ''so called'' ADHD or to criticize a parent's decision to use medication is just wrong and uncaring. Try walking around in the shoes of someone who is dealing with ADHD themselves or parenting a child with this well documented and real condition before such criticism is spoken. Medication does help ADHD and was shown by one of the biggest studies done on children with the condition (the MTA study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health) to be the most effective strategy to use. My belief is anyone who doesn't want to use it shouldn't but parents of kids with ADHD have a big enough struggle without others condemning them for using the most effective treatment for this condition!That said, it is possible the medication dosage is keeping your child awake and it is wise to discuss that with your pediatrician. Melinda
I did not see the original post, but when my son had trouble sleeping in 4th/5th grade, I had success with melatonin, herbal based, avail. only in health food stores, and generally considered ''safe.'' I find that 1/2 tablet, about 30 min. before bedtime relaxed him enough to allow a good night's sleep. No side effects (that I can detect). His only other medicine was for allergy. Would also recommend physical exercise. If your child does not do competitive sports, try swimming 3-4x a week. After swimming lessons, my child no longer has trouble sleeping and the overall health benefits are tremendous. Anon.

Teens & sleep deprivation

November 2001

I would like to get some feedback and perspective from parents. I have an ongoing concern about sleep deprivation among our teens and how it is impacting their health as well as their performance in school, and would like to get some feedback and perspective from other parents.

Part of the problem is the starting time of many Bay Area high schools, and the scheduling of difficult classes first thing in the morning. Albany High starts at 7:40 am, and many of the more advanced classes which have only one section, such as math, are offered at that hour. These classes require a lot of concentration, at an hour when most teens are still waking up.

Studies have shown that teen's biological clocks shift during puberty, and not only do they need more sleep, but they naturally stay up longer and need to sleep longer. Their brains don't start functioning at peak until later in the morning, around 8:30 or 9:00 am. Sleep deprivation amongst our teens is brought on by the multitude of responsibilities they have and by their own natural sleep cycle, which may be impairing their ability of learn and retain information.

Our high school students are trying to balance their school work in multiple subjects, along with part-time jobs, practice in sports or an arts activity that often goes late into the evening. Our daughter, who is in 11th grade at Albany High, cannot get to her homework until 7 or 8 pm, and works until midnight or 1 am, because the homework load is so heavy. She is seriously tired when she gets up at 6:40 am to get to a 7:40 am class. And this tiredness is cumulative, as sleep deprivation builds up and eventually makes her sick and have to miss school.

I find this kind of scheduling and pressure unhealthy for our kids, and would welcome your comments.

Eileen

Hi Eileen! I must agree with your assessment that school starting times, scheduling of difficult classes, and teen biological clocks are all in opposition to one another. My teen (age 17, would be a senior this year) suffered from it exactly as you describe. The early start hour is silly, given that time is available after school, when many teens are just hanging out and getting into trouble (I know she was!). For those who complain that extracurricular activities must happen then, my question is "why"? What reason can be given not to put at least some of the extracurricular activities into the morning slot instead? I clearly remember school starting at 9am at my HS in San Jose in the late 70's--and just as clearly remember playing in the orchestra at 8am. It was tough, and I didn't choose to do it every year. At least that way, the *academic* subjects would be taught during the time of the students' peak performance. Presumably, that's what school is about anyway, right? We seemed to do just fine starting our extracurricular activites at 3:30 or 4pm each day--why can't they do that now?

Regarding scheduling of hard classes into the morning--I have NO idea why this is done, but it's a bad idea. This happened to my daughter. Her required, difficult, math class was scheduled ONLY at 8am. She is NOT a morning person. Neither are we. The class was a disaster from the start. Despite my pleadings with both her and her counselor that she delay the class to another semester and time, she went ahead and took it. She failed, and the failure in that class caused her to lose confidence, give up, and subsequently fail in every other class, and eventually she attempted suicide over being such a "failure." Rather than have this happen again, we chose to remove her from the school system altogether, and "un-school" her (like homeschooling, but more directed by the student). This is a radical solution, but appears to be one of the few solutions available when no one is listening to the fact that these early hours DO NOT WORK for teens.

BTW: Since she has been unschooling, she's done just fine on a schedule that has her going to sleep at midnight, and leaving for work/classes around 11 am. She's happy, productive, learning lots, and wonderful to be around. An utter contrast from her former tired, cranky, unmotivated self. Good luck convincing the powers that be to change things! Sincerely, Dawn

I agree with you that sleep deprivation in teens is a big problem that receives little acknowledgement. From a WebMD summary of the problem at http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1728.60579

"Studies show that while fifth and sixth graders can be wide awake all day after about nine hours' sleep, teenagers need 10 hours to be alert all day long, says Richard D. Simon, Jr., MD, medical director of the Kathryn Severyns Dement Sleep Disorder Center in Walla Walla, WashSimon. "The average teenager gets about six hours' sleep, so he's sleep-depriving himself completely," he says. Other researchers put the necessary amount of sleep for teens at about 9 hours and 15 minutes a night. ... In addition, high-school-age children appear to undergo a shift in their biological 'body clock,' which tells them when to rise and go to bed, he says: "There's some evidence that teenagers' biological clock may be programmed to start turning off later at night and turn on later in morning." According to the National Sleep Foundation report, studies have shown that the typical high school student's natural bedtime is 11 p.m. or later."

So an 11pm bedtime, pretty reasonable for teens with homework and after school activities, means that your teen should be sleeping till 8:30 or 9 in the morning, which is impossible for most high schools. Allowing an hour for the teen to have a shower and eat breakfast and wait for the bus, we're looking at an arrival time 10am or so. I think what happens instead is they are forced to get up too early, fall asleep during class, walk through the day like a zombie, and try to catch up on the weekends.

I'm not too optimistic about the schools figuring this problem out in the next 20 years. After all they still think all families have a mommy at home to greet kids at 3pm every day. There are alternatives though. My son just started this year at Berkeley High Independent Study. The jury is still out on whether this change will address his academic "issues". But one huge benefit of BIS is that my night owl son has been able to arrange his schedule so that he can sleep in most mornings. The combination of more sleep and more control over his schedule has really made a big difference in his day-to-day demeanor and in our relationship too. Ginger

My feeling is that we have schools organized backwards. The academics should start at 10:30 or 11:00 am and run through until 5:00pm, and all the extracurricular activities and sports should start early in the morning. That way, the kids who are not interested in those things don't have to be to school until later, when their minds and bodies are awake. In addition, for those kids who are interested in the extracurricular activities, I'm sure it's easier to do those activities rather than academics early in the morning. Martina
I have no doubt that a regular lack of sleep contributes to a myriad of vulnerabilities in young people which can cause emotional strain leading to physical illness or mental deterioration. I know for myself (a middle-aged single Mom) that sleep deprivation on an ongoing basis contributes to the aging process and certainly influences how present I can be in interpersonal communication or in basic functions such as driving and cooking. Children and adolescents (ages 10-18) are resilient, but over time a lack of sleep robs them of being present in their lives and handicaps their ability to receive and process the world around them. I would imagine continued lack of rest can impair decision-making ability and the receptivity of brain cells for learning. I have a seventh grader who is a conscientious student and has been educated through sixth grade in a Montessori environment. He is self-motivated, interested in learning, quite expressive when engaged in a conversation geared to his level, and active in sports and music. This year the time dedicated to homework (in a more conventional school setting) has probably quadrupled. My biggest questions are "Does this amount of homework contribute to the education of my son?" and "Is the loss of sleep resulting from staying up late to finish homework detrimental to his health and upsetting a balance in life that makes for a vibrant, caring, creative, and self-reflective human being?"

The patterns of discipline and study that are set in middle school are "in most cases" the ones that will carry students through high school and college. So teaching good study habits and time management are important skills for later in life. I also think that broadening the base of knowledge in specific subjects is also a postive achievement in middle school. HOWEVER, is there a danger that we are also teaching our children to become "workaholics" or something less negative "do-aholics" by virtue of the fact that we keep them so busy with exercises for the mind?

I question just how wise our culture is in stressing the acquisition of knowledge as a vehicle for self-fulfillment and social success without a complementary emphasis on the cultivation of wisdom. Have we not forgotten to tend to the spirit and introduce qualities and practices that are meant to open our young people to the possibility of wisdom arising from silence and quiet reflection?

I have many more questions than answers; however, this culture seems to have many more answers than questions. The problem arises when questions are no longer encouraged, discussion is had for the sake of hearing oneself and others talk, and political discourse is used to condone the righteousness of one group's values. Wisdom is concealed by efforts at pleasant social intercourse, or worse yet by efforts to establish one point of view as superior to another. I do question the wisdom of excessive homework (busywork) at a time in the world's evolution that calls for a grand leap of understanding of what it is to be an evolving human being?

I hope I stayed close enought to the topic, Eileen. I am wrestling with questions that arise from living with an emerging adolescent and the changes that come with all that, including homework and scheduling.

Suzanne

I would like to chime in regarding sleep deprivation among children and teens. I notice a dramatic difference in my 15 yr old son's ability to cope with school, peers, family, the world when he gets enough sleep -- which for him is 9 to 9 1/2 hours every night. So until school starts later, he is in bed no later than 10 pm, and usually by 9:30. (and if homework isn't done he has to do lots of catchup on the weekend)

I think it would be useful if there were a variety of schedules to accomodate the various internal clocks the kids (hey and teachers too) have. But don't forget -- if your kid stays up to 11 pm to do homework now when he or she is getting out of school at 2:45-- would you really be happy with him or her staying up till 1 am or later to get the same amount of work done because school didn't end until 5 pm? Maybe we are just allowing our kids to do too much (school plus sports plus jobs...)

Daughter with Insomnia

November 2001

Our daughter, 13, is a high achieving and motivated public school student. Starting last June, she began to have terrible insomnia. It continued through the summer, despite being engaged in vigorous physical activities. She swears that she is not worried about anything (except not sleeping). I visited the Food Mill (a good source of information on homeopathic/naturopathic treatments) and began giving her Passionflower/chamomile tea and Valerian. These seemed to have little or no effect. She tried adjusting her bedtime and waking time with no change. She increased her swimming in an effort to fatigue herself. Needless to say, she was a frustrated and fragile person much of the time; grouchy to her sisters, dad and me.

We consulted her pediatrician, who was not much help, but did say that she had seen several kids that week with the same complaint!

I had hoped, that when school began in September, the problem would resolve itself. It has improved, but she still has nights with little sleep several times per week. I just don't know what to think. After a day of school, swim workouts and hours of homework she should be exhausted, but isn't. She is not a "nervous energy" sort of person. Now I don't know what, if anything, I can do to help my daughter. She is becoming concerned because she must soon take the ISEE and other entrance exams for high school admission, and she wants to do well. Her dad and I are trying to keep all of this as 'low key' as possible, since we both find the pressures placed on such young kids to be unreasonable.

Is there anything else I might do to help her? I really don't want her to be medicated constantly, but she certainly needs more rest. Has anyone else experienced this with their daughter? Suggestions welcome!

a brief response/query to the mom with the daughter having insomnia -- it sounded like she was tired and fatigued during the summer, but I wasn't sure if she's still tired now. I only ask because my son has basically been an "insomniac" since birth -- he's always gotten much less sleep than his peers. My son's pattern is that he does fine during the school week, and then on the weekend he crashes and sleeps a lot (during the week he falls asleep b/t 11:30 and 12 and is up at 7:30, and often says he wakes up in the middle of the night). If she's functioning okay during the week, I'd just let it ride. Even though she says she's not feeling worried or stressed, she might be having some anxiety around the high school entrance exam, or something else, and the sleep disruption is just how the anxiety is coming out. asa
To the parent whose 13-year old daughter has insomnia, your daughter probably IS feeling exhausted, but just is unable to relax or slow down her brain enough to go to sleep. I remember that I had sleep problems also at exactly that age. They lasted for several months, and then gradually went away on their on. I think that was the year when I first began taking "advanced" classes in school. It is a busy time for kids - lots of new stuff to take in and deal with, lots of hormones swirling around, school and social issues, and family too. Your presence probably is a comfort to her, and it sounds good that you are trying to keep things low key. I remember that I finally would fall asleep that year around 2 or 3 a.m., usually after I woke up my mother and had her sit with me for a few minutes while I had a glass of milk and a cookie.

Do you have Kaiser coverage? I know that Kaiser has a program to help people who are having sleep problems. It is an amazingly common problem. You might also consult a therapist. While you may not want your daughter to rely on medication as a permanent thing to get to sleep (completely understandable concern), she may at this point be feeling so worried and anxious about whether she will be able to sleep that she is too wound up to let go and get there. I consulted a psychiatrist at Kaiser when my sleep problems briefly resurfaced as an adult. He prescribed an antidepressant which he said was not addictive. I did use it sometimes and it did help. When my sleep problems got better, I stopped using it without a problem.

I found the sleeping class even more helpful tho' because it gave really good practical tips on how to help yourself sleep. Here are some of the top tips I heard there: Try to get up and go to sleep each day at pretty much the same time - so that is weekdays and weekends alike. If you sleep in on weekends, you are not as ready to go to sleep at your normal time (say on a Sunday). (I resisted this advice at first because I dearly love sleeping in on the weekends, especially after not falling asleep until late or being sleep deprived from the week, but I finally did try just routinely getting up EVERY day at 7 a.m. or earlier and it really did seem to help.) If you fall asleep late or have trouble sleeping at night, still get yourself up early and do NOT take naps. Try to use your bedroom only for sleeping. If your daughter is doing homework in her room she may associate the room with thoughts of school and have trouble relaxing. If she uses her room to watch tv, she is getting used to thinking of it as a place where she does things other than sleep. It is good to get used to using the room (and associating it) primarily with sleep. Don't look at the clock as you are getting ready for bed or while you are in bed or if you are having trouble sleeping - it just makes you more tense. If you don't fall asleep within a reasonable time of going to bed (e.g., 10 or 15 minutes) GET UP and go do something in another room that is not stimulating or stressful - read a book, whatch tv, sweep the floor - until you begin to relax, then go back to bed and try again. If you remain in bed for too long not sleeping, it reinforces the notion that the bed is not a place where you sleep. These things helped me a lot. I hope that they help your daughter. Hang in there, and good luck! Sleep problems are a giant bummer but they probably will improve with time. DMorris

Do you know whether or not your daughter drinks anything caffeinated - colas, frappacinos, etc.? Some people are mighty sensitive to caffeine.
I would get back to that pediatrician and ask for a referral to a sleep clinic. You also might do a psychological evaluation; your daughter may be more stressed than any of you realize. She's at a very anxious point in life, when childhood is clearly coming to an end and the direction of her adult life has not yet come clear.

There are some mental tricks for getting your conscious mind to let go that she could learn from a psychologist or clinic, or probably find by researching the internet. I have had insomnia all my life and have had good results using time-released melatonin (Long's sells it). Another remedy that has been helpful is Hylands Calms Forte. Hot milk in combination with one of these works well for my ordinary insomnia episodes.

Insomnia is one of those things that you deal with intermittently all your life, if you're one of those people that gets it. You are doing a very good thing to help your daughter learn how to deal with it. Good luck; I hope you find her the help she needs. Louise

I recently went through several health issues resulting in my sleep patterns getting totally screwed up. My doctor put me on ambien for the next two weeks to get me back on line. He has done this for me before and it has helped tremendously. I'll sleep for at least six hours and I don't wake up groggy. This is not a long term treatment. It is only meant to teach your body to get back on track.

Find another doctor or mention a short term sleeping aid to help her body adjust back to its normal cycle. For whatever the reason, your daughter's sleep cycle has been interrupted and she needs help getting it back. Not being able to sleep is hard enough on adults. I can only imagine what it's like for children who need more of it. marianne

I also have a young teenage female athlete who periodically cannot unwind. She has found relief through acupuncture and hypnotherapy. Marilyn Gordon is a resourceful hypnotherapist in Oakland who makes "custom tapes" for issues like these. She has experience working with children and teens. Years of experience as a hypnotherapist. Our daughter was also in the first year of her menstrual cycle. The acupuncture and herbs were helpful in smoothing out some of the "raging hormones" that were keeping her restless.
Re: daughter who isn't sleeping. This sounds biochemical to me. I'd go to a good psychiatrist.
I would like to reply to the parent whose daughter has insomnia: Our 15 year old son has had sleep difficulties for years, but the problem became extreme this past summer. He has Tourette's, so our pediatrician recommended we talk to the neurologist. The neurologist recommended melatonin. The melatonin works very well - almost too well: on the nights he takes it, our son falls asleep quickly and sleeps through the night but he is often dozy and difficult to wake up the next morning. We're still trying to find the best dose.

Since melatonin is a hormone, it is really important to talk to your daughter's pediatrician before initiating therapy. As a pharmacist, I would caution against using prescription sleep medications (Ambien or the various benzodiazepines, such as Ativan or Restoril). These drugs can cause dependency and, as such, are inappropriate for use in children and teens.

I recently heard an interesting program on KPFA, on the issue of sleep. Here are my notes.

We live in a society that does not understand fatigue. We think that we need sleep when we are sleepy (ie. can no longer focuse, concentrate or stay awake). That is not correct. By that point, we have become over tired. We should instead go to sleep when we are tired. Often, when we pass the threshold of being tired, and stay awake, we become "wired" and then have a difficult time falling asleep even though we are more fatigued.

Here were some suggestions:
1) develop regular sleep pattersn. ie go to sleep at a regular time;
2) get more sleep if you wake up fatigued. One should wake up refreshed;
3) Go to sleep feeling pleasant - have a hot bath, do something relaxing. Do not get into an argument or exciting conversation, or watch a scary/exciting movie.
4) Have your place of sleep be pleasant and comfortable (good sheets, bedclothes, mattress)
5) make sure your room is dark. Light will cause sleep disturbances including night lights

The doctor interviewed considered good sleep a foundation for good health.

I don't have much to add except that my own son often experiences the same thing. It was MUCH worse last year and the year before while still in middle school during which he was also increasingly depressed and seriously at risk of failing. I think kids in public middle and high schools these days experience more conflict, noise, crowdedness, pressure, multiple priorities, stress, substance abuse temptation, aggression, and higher work load than most adults, except perhaps the understaffed, unsupported teachers and counselors who work with them. Its an insane environment for anyone.

Now that my son is going to Arrowsmith Academy, he is so much happier, relaxed and having fun learning than I've ever seen him. It's like a huge weight has been lifted off our whole small family of three. He still sometimes stays up too late on weekends with friends, and/or has trouble getting to bed and waking up in the morning but he is so much more able to be self-regulating in managing his sleep needs.

I too would love to hear more about sleep deprivation and changing natural sleep cycles among teens. In particular, I'd like to hear more about what Eileen Hadidian mentioned in her comment:

"Studies have shown that teen's biological clocks shift during puberty, and not only do they need more sleep, but they naturally stay up longer and need to sleep longer. Their brains don't start functioning at peak until later in the morning, around 8:30 or 9:00 am. Sleep deprivation amongst our teens is brought on by the multitude of responsibilities they have and by their own natural sleep cycle, which may be impairing their ability of learn and retain information." Thank you for bringing this up. Tani

Editor Note: there is some info about this research on the web here: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1728.60579 (WebMD website)

Regarding Ambien, I have used it several times in the last three years to help me get my sleep cycle back to normal (usually after an illness or too many allnighters at work). What was not said about it, is that if used as doctor-directed and for a short period of time (two weeks is normal), it can help your body adjust to a normal sleep cycle which is what you want. I found no grogginess in the mornings with it. I slept for six hours and woke up alert. Don't be afraid of trying something that might help. All drugs have the potential of misuse, but all of them also are there for a reason. Definately talk to your doctor.

Mine is up to date on all the medications and procedures and has changed my prescriptions and treatments a few times because of new things he learned about, so I trust his opinion. Your doctor will be better able to rule out causes for the insomnia and figure out what's best for your teen. Good luck. Marianne

My 14 year old had been complaining of difficulty falling asleep for about 2 years. She seemed to stay up later and later and getting her up in the mornings to get to school in time was a nightmare. We tried everything--giving her the responsibility (and if she missed school, the onus was on her), helping her wake up, extra-loud alarm clocks strategically positioned (which she slept through.

Then, she joined the Berkeley High crew team. The afternoon practices gave her an excuse to stay up later to complete homework. She wanted to quit crew (which we refused to allow because she had quit every other sport up to that point) We worried about how she was going to manage crew, school, and studies once practices shifted to 5:45.

What a surprise! When she had to started getting up at 5:00 a.m. to get to 5:45 (2 hr) practice sessions, no more sleep problems and no more complaining about quitting. The change was instanteous. She gets up on her own so as not to miss her ride and look irresponsible to her peers (we car pool); she now goes to tutoring after school on her own volition to get help with 2 of her courses. She comes home, does several hours more of homework and is in bed (on her own volition by 10:00 p.m. compared to 12:00 and 1:00 a.m. before) and is asleep within minutes). She's now a solid "A" student. Go figure. Was it a change in sleep schedule? A shift in exercise schedule? Peer pressure?

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