Dear Teen and Parent,
Those two words really don’t go together. How could you possibly get a good night’s sleep if you are focused on responding to the constant ding of your phone? I recently read and article that laid out some very real statistics. It looks like over sixty per cent of teens are not getting enough sleep because of late night texting or phone use. Twenty to twenty-five per cent are awakened from sleep to respond to a text. Really not too surprising. But aren’t teens already sleep deprived? Do they really need this constant distraction? Up to seventy per cent of teens get less than eight hours of sleep a night, usually five or six! Not only can a lack of sleep get in the way of learning it also can effect brain development and growth, not to mention overall health and well-being. Why is it so hard to turn off the phone during sleep time? Has it become an addiction of sorts or a really bad habit? That’s crazy because you have complete control over this problem!! Give it try for a couple of weeks. Turn off your phone and see if you get more sleep and better sleep. See if the lack of distractions while sleeping help you feel better the next day. It seems worth a try. My guess is that if you can turn off your phone you will feel more relaxed and rested the next day. I think it might take a few days to fall back into a healthy sleep pattern so give it some time to work.
Parents, if they cannot turn off their phone at night and control this on their own, I strongly advise you help them do it. Take the phone at bedtime and give it back in the morning. It’s easy and it will help your teen to develop healthier habits regarding their sleep.