Widespread Sleep Deprivation According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on the average school night only three out of ten high school students achieve the mini- mum recommended hours of sleep. Even more concerning, the journal Pediatrics published an article in 2015 suggesting that adolescent sleep has been consis- tently declining over the last 20 years. This is slowly leading to an epidemic of sleep deprivation in youth across the U.S.


Screen-Free Sleep Areas There are three major concerns with screens in the bedroom. For one, media is often stimulating. Watching TV shows, streaming videos online and scrolling through social media posts flood the brain with information, making it more difficult for the mind to relax. Second, across multiple studies, the light emitted from televisions and personal devices has been found to disrupt the sleep cycle by delay- ing secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone made by a gland in the brain that influences regulation of sleep. When melatonin is secreted, individuals get sleepy; when it is suppressed, it is more difficult to fall asleep. Blue light — emitted from backlit screens such as those found in smartphones and computers — is no- torious for inhibiting melatonin secretion.


Sleep needs vary by person. Your child may need more or less than the recommended range


Finally, there is the issue of sleep disrup- tion. The National Sleep Foundation’s 2011 Sleep in America Poll found that nearly one in five 13- to 18-year-olds report be- ing awakened several nights per week by a phone call, text message or email.


Give your


child a period of time for winding down before bed


Ready, Set, Grow


Preparing for Rest Instituting “screen-time lights-out” at least one hour — preferably two — before bedtime can give your child a period of time devoted to winding down. This will also encourage the body’s natural secre- tion of melatonin, which will alert the brain that it is soon time to rest. Quiet activities during this hour such as drinking a cup of decaffeinated tea, listening to calming music, journaling and reading can all help prepare an adolescent for rest. Beware, however, of e-readers as many use back lighting to enhance their screens. If your child enjoys reading for pleasure, an old- fashioned print book is the best bet. Alter- natively, consider purchasing a blue-light filter that can be applied externally to the screen. For a more tech-savvy solution, download a display-altering app. There


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