What can parents and other concerned adults do about the problem of teenage sleep deprivation?
First, we can lend our support to later school start times by raising the issue with school administrators and local school boards. In schools around the country where later start times have been implemented, adolescents have shown improved motivation, better class attendance, heightened academic performance, fewer incidents of misbehavior and greater overall alertness. With all that we know now about the importance of teens getting enough sleep, it may be time for Kansas educators to consider seriously the benefits of an 8:30 AM start time in high schools around the state. On the home front, parents can help their teens get better sleep by assuring that their bedrooms are quiet havens for real rest, with all electronic devices turned off at night. They can also help their teens avoid caffeine late in the day, ensure that they get adequate physical activity during the day to improve nighttime sleepiness, and see that they take 30 minutes or more before bed to wind down by reading somet
