ROANOKE (WSLS 10) -Â High school and college students don't get enough sleep. They are thought to be the most sleep deprived group in America. One out of three fall asleep in class at least once a week. A local sleep expert has some good advice for parents and kids.
"With all of the extracurricular activities and homework and different social commitments that they have there's just not enough time allotted to important sleep and getting enough sleep and that's why it's so important to not only educate children about healthy sleep but for parents and teachers to also know about that," said Carilion Clinic sleep psychologist Dr. Barbara Hutchinson.
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She has the following recommended sleep guidelines:
- Preschoolers (3-5): Allow for 10-13 hours of sleep
- School age children (6-13): Allow for 9-11 hours of sleep
- Teenagers (14-17): Allow for 8-10 hours of sleep
Not getting enough sleep could mean issues at home and at school.
"It does impact their weight, their growth. It also impacts their ability to pay attention and concentrate so we see poor school performance, more acting out behaviors, more trouble with emotional control," said Dr. Hutchinson.
She has the following advice.
Develop relaxing bedtime routine
Blackout curtains, Sound machines to block other noises
Avoid caffeine 6-8 hours before bedtime
Put down electronic devices 1 hour before bed because it can simulate the sun and TV can cause nightmares
Keep the same routine on weekends
"The idea of catching up on weekends is actually not healthy for children or adults. It actually specifically for children can create more troubles with adjusting to wake times on weekdays," said Dr. Hutchinson.
She says by teaching kids now it can help them develop good sleep habits for later in life.