As high school counselors, we often talk with teenagers about their lifestyle and we find that many of the students we work with aren't getting enough sleep.  They complain about being sleepy during the day and being too busy to get even eight hours of sleep per day.  As parents, some us know how difficult it can be to get them to go to bed by 10:00 on a school night and even more difficult to get them up before noon on the weekend!   Our research on the topic of teen sleep led us to an excellent web page sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation.  Check it out at: www.sleepfoundation.org.  The following recommendations come from the Sleep Foundation website.

1. Educate yourself about adolescent development, and the physical and behavioral changes you can expect, including those that relate to their sleep needs and patterns.
   
2. Look for signs of sleep deprivation (insufficient sleep) and sleepiness in your child -- keep in mind that they are not always obvious. Signs include difficulty waking in the morning, irritability late in the day, falling asleep spontaneously during quiet times of the day, and sleeping for extra long periods on the weekends. In addition, sleepiness can also look similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
   
3. Enforce regular sleep schedules for all children and maintain appropriate schedules as they grow older. To help induce sleepiness in adolescents, establish a quiet time in the evening when the lights are dimmed and loud music is not permitted.
   
4. Talk with your children about their individual sleep/wake schedules and level of sleepiness. Assess the time spent in extracurricular and employment activities with regard to their sleep patterns and needs, and make adjustments if necessary.