Food & Nutrition
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Parenting Preparedness
Life as a teenager has never been easy, not till they grow out of it. It is the vital period of change between innocence and experience, in which a child begins to realize that the world is more complicated than it ever was before. In the 21st century, things have gotten even more difficult for them. Now, they must balance a social persona, student life, family life, and a personal life, while battling confusing feelings and ideas. And if they cannot, social media is there to make them feel worse by highlighting a fleeting, phantom perfection.
Amidst all this, sleep is the only time during which teenagers get to open to themselves, while their body repairs and develops energy. A teenager requires between 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night, but hardly gets it. Therefore, teens must get the sleep they need, to recover and recharge both physically and mentally. Here are the top tips to make sure your teens get enough sleep.
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Top Tips To Ensure Your Teen Gets Adequate Sleep
1. No Screen Time Before Bed
It is difficult to ensure their privacy while enforcing strict rules at times, but parenting is the art of balancing delicate issues. Your teens would love to talk on the phone or watch shows all night, but you must be strict and maintain caution. Ensure digital detox is maintained at least an hour before they go to bed. This will ensure adequate and healthy production of melatonin and proper sleep.
2. Ensure They Have A Bedtime Routine
Irrespective of your teen’s gender, they must have a bedtime routine. Be it mild skincare and listening to ocean sounds, or playing a soothing instrument, these good bedtime habits ensure their body is synchronized to a routine. Even if your teen has a bad day, their bedtime routine will help their body fall asleep on time.
3. Make Sure Their Room Is Sleep-Inducing
Teenagers love personalizing their rooms according to their developing persona. Be it a superhero-themed bedroom or a princess one, ensure they have thick, opaque blinds and bed sheets in soothing, dark colors. Try to keep their bedroom temperature cool, so that they cuddle up and drift off to sleep, in a state of comfort.
4. Set A Curfew And Enforce It
As your kid grows up, they will be invited to parties and may be late returning home. To keep them on track and not disrupt their body clock, set a curfew. It may be 8 pm for your young teen, and 10 pm for your older one, but it must be enforced daily unless there are any extraordinary circumstances. Avoiding late nights will benefit your teen’s sleeping schedule like nothing else.
5. Spend Time Together Before Bed
Teenagers have a lot of pent-up frustration and anxiety, be it from classes, friends, crushes, or teachers. Since they are being judged by all for everything they do, good or bad, they may withdraw into a shell. And it may keep them up at night. Try to set at least 15 minutes from your busy schedule every day to talk to them. Do not judge or jump to conclusions, simply listen, and let them empty their heart. You can produce a solution the next morning for whatever their trouble is.
6. Try To Get Them To Read
Get your teens into reading early as it is a difficult habit to pick in teenagers. Reading before bed makes it easy for them to calm their minds and slowly enter a state of fantasy. That imaginative engrossment will make it easy for them to fall asleep, with no worries flitting about their minds. Also, reading often offers information and solace words cannot, which might quieten any unrest in their hearts.
7. No Caffeine Around Bedtime
Caffeine is strict before or near bedtime for teenagers. Try to avoid letting them consume caffeine after sunset unless they are studying for an exam. Even that should have its limits as more than 3 cups of caffeinated drinks per day is not good for health. If they do not have adequate energy and need caffeine to sustain them through the day, it can be a sign of inadequate sleep. Keep an eye on them and try to replenish their diet with natural energy drinks like coconut water and nimbu paani.
Conclusion
Teenagers thrive when they are in the right environment, with adequate nourishment, sleep, and support. They can face any confusion, judgment, and curveball life throws at them, if they are well-rested and sharp. But they require their parents’ help in attaining that comfort and ease in life. So, begin now, by ensuring your teen gets adequate rest at night with these top tips. Also, remember that the earlier you begin inculcating healthy sleeping habits in children, the better. When they become teenagers, all they require is a little strict molding and the right guidance to find their place in the world.
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
