National Sleep Awareness Week

This week is National Sleep Awareness Week. A campaign that began in 1998 with the intention of sharing information on the importance of sleep. It is commonly stated that adolescents sleep a lot and this is in fact a biological need to assist in their development. Did you know teenagers' bodies require an average of 9 hours of sleep per night? Very much like their toddler days, sometimes they are so excited about life they cannot end their day and get some rest. After all, no one has more "to-dos" than a child at bedtime. 

In the 2010 and 2012 Fairfax County Youth Survey, it was correlated that youth that reported getting 6 hours of sleep per night were three times more likely to initiate drug use than those who slept 8 or 9 hours a night. Thus, nurturing a healthy sleep routine in childhood helps set their foundation for life. 

Sleep or bedtime routines are repetitive sequenced actions that prepare the body for sleep. As caregivers, sleep-related conversations have the potential to foster self-awareness in youth. The practice of having regular conversations with youth about how their body feels, which emotions they are experiencing, and helping them identify positive and negative patterns related to their overall wellness empowers them to develop a positive relationship with their bodies. 

For more information on how much sleep children need, please visit Sleep Education created by American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

May you enjoy participating in #worldsleepday