Are Your Teens Getting Junk Sleep?

[Dawn]

I thought I'd post this here, because since I got my own computer 3 weeks ago my usual routine has really gone downhill. I have had terrible insomnia, can't sleep at night, and my ass is going to be kicked on Monday when school starts. I need to get my ass in gear!

We don't have TV, it's the stupid computer. Hopefully my love affair with it will soon balance out.

A poll of 1,000 kids, ages 12 to 16, found that 30 percent go on four to seven hours of sleep a night, far from the recommended eight or nine or more that teens often get when they can. As Reuters reports, nearly all of the teenagers surveyed had a phone, music system, or TV in their bedroom and two-thirds of them had all three. What, no PC, too? A 2005 Pew Internet & American Life project study found that 26 percent of U.S. teens spent time online in their bedrooms, and that's two years ago.

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/devlin/14808

[odin]

The best advice I can give you is to set a daily time limit for computer use, and stick to it. There's more to life than surfing the web, but it can be addictive for some people. Another option is to set a nightly cut-off time, probably about 10 pm. It's also best not to have the pc in your bedroom.

[Dawn]

I know, I know, I know. See, what I know to do and what I actually do, are sometimes 2 different things.

My poor parents. They trust me with a little bit of responsibilty and I go and overwhelm myself. That's part of my motivation right there.

[Sudaka]

Originally Posted by Dawn

I know, I know, I know. See, what I know to do and what I actually do, are sometimes 2 different things.

My poor parents. They trust me with a little bit of responsibilty and I go and overwhelm myself. That's part of my motivation right there.

It could be worse. You could be surfing MySpace.

Oh wait....

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by Sudaka

It could be worse. You could be surfing MySpace.

Oh wait....

Point taken.

But I think I have a nice little page. It's good to keep up with a few friends who have moved away.

[Sudaka]

Originally Posted by Dawn

But I think I have a nice little page. It's good to keep up with a few friends who have moved away.

It is tasteful, yes. Keeping up with friends is all right. I'm just busting balls, I'm on there too.

[Jett Rink]

Dawn, just stay up and dont go to sleep for a day, thats how you kill insomnia.

[dianedeutsch]

A poll of 1,000 kids, ages 12 to 16, found that 30 percent go on four to seven hours of sleep a night, far from the recommended eight or nine or more that teens often get when they can. As Reuters reports, nearly all of the teenagers surveyed had a phone, music system, or TV in their bedroom and two-thirds of them had all three. What, no PC, too? A 2005 Pew Internet & American Life project study found that 26 percent of U.S. teens spent time online in their bedrooms, and that's two years ago.

What happened to *when the parent says "time for bed", the child went*? While my daughter is only 11, I can understand how kids get too distracted to sleep. However, she knows she cannot make nor receive phone calls after 8pm. There's no tv in any bedroom. While she does have a radio, she knows the limits. If she wants to listen to music at bedtime, she goes to bed a half hour early to do so. Same for reading...or both, in her case. She knows after that half hour is up, music goes off, lights go out, she goes to sleep.

Kids are taught from an early age that material things are what can make them happy. They're taught to believe that *stuff* is more important than people or knowledge. Take that belief away, or better yet, don't let them learn that in the first place..and you have happier, less distracted, and better behaved children.

[Dawn]

Oh, please don't get me wrong, it's not my parents fault at all. I've just gotten myself so backwards with my sleep over the last part of the summer, that now it's catching up with me. I did get some good sleep last night, and made myself get up early this morning, well as early as I'll be getting up when school starts.

My brain has just been overstimulated.

[Sudaka]

Originally Posted by Dawn

Oh, please don't get me wrong, it's not my parents fault at all. I've just gotten myself so backwards with my sleep over the last part of the summer,

Ah, yes, Summer break. Forgot.

[AngryWhiteGuy]

What I usually do on a work night is watch an episode or two of The Simpsons before passing out. I'm the type of person that falls asleep better watching something on tv, well, not exactly tv, I don't have cable, but I get the very few US shows that I do watch via the internet. (the rest are ones from Aus or The UK, which will never air here anyways)

For Dawn, the first week or so, try taking over the counter sleeping pills like "Simply Sleep". Just be careful not to get too reliant on them, or else you won't be able to go to sleep without using them. :-S

[odin]

Originally Posted by AngryWhiteGuy

For Dawn, the first week or so, try taking over the counter sleeping pills like "Simply Sleep". Just be careful not to get too reliant on them, or else you won't be able to go to sleep without using them. :-S

Recommending sleeping pills to a 15 year old?

[Sudaka]

Originally Posted by odin

Recommending sleeping pills to a 15 year old?

Don't worry, she knows better.

[Justin Lee]

Originally Posted by odin

Recommending sleeping pills to a 15 year old?

I was going to recommend Scotch. but I had no clue she was 15...

[AngryWhiteGuy]

Ahh.. scratch the pills idea, I didn't realize how it sounded til now.

[birdman77]

she's only fifteen, but she is WAY ahead of the curve, as far as racial loyalty goes. dawn must have good parents.
just try to cut down the computer time until you are back in the habit of going to class everyday

[Dawn]

I am down to about an hour or two a day, these past few days.

[Brett Quinn]

With school and other activities, I had to ditch the eight hour sleep thing. I sleep in 4 hour periods usually. Took me a week to get in the habit. Now I got it down pat. I've tried sleeping pills/caffeine pills.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphasic_sleep

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by Bquinn

With school and other activities, I had to ditch the eight hour sleep thing. I sleep in 4 hour periods usually. Took me a week to get in the habit. Now I got it down pat. I've tried sleeping pills/caffeine pills.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphasic_sleep

That was pretty interesting. I would have thought it would take longer than a week to get into the habit.

I'm fine now, but you know, I always do feel more refreshed after a 20 minute nap, then I do after a night's sleep, when it takes me half an hour to really wake up.

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by David Greenblatt

Dawn, does your dad post on VNN? What's up with you? What are you doing here trying to kick it with 30 and 40something guys. I think you need to get a boyfriend sugar - 10 posts a day and you're pissing your time away on stupid internet bs 24/7, daysleeping. Don't you have any friends? No, not Myspace friends. Oh that's right, your 'friends moved away'. What's wrong with you does no one want to hang out with you? No boys like you? You're a hard loser Dawn. What do you have a crush on some WN guy or something? You've put on like 15 pounds over the summer too. See you took down your picture huh, as well as all of that junk in your sig. Your name is stupid by the way.

Younger people today are not using up their energy, that's why they want to stay up half the night. Technology is evil. They are plugged into their electronic VR and just sit and slop around consuming drugs. It would be sad to someone who did not understand destiny.

Oh dear, you've really cut to the core of me.

No boys like me.
I have no friends!
I have a stupid name....... *sigh That's a double

Maybe I'll be lucky to accidentally cut my wrists this morning when I'm in the shower.

Nice try 'David Greenblatt', your writing style gives you away.

I know what my destiny is (as you well know). Thanks for your show of concern over my well-being though! Things are really looking up for me. Say hi to your sister for me! How's her little boy Treyelle doing? Her Baby daddy still not in the picture?

Sorry about that.

When did you become jewish?? lol! Your avatar is a riot!

And 'younger people today'........ You're 17 and are taking a first year psych class in highschool. Last year you were a 'skinbyrd', by this time next year, you'll be sitting in a lecture hall desperately wanting to shave your armpits, reading Our Bodies, or some other garbage. Go get your tube tied now please, because if how your parents raised you is any indicator of how you will raise your own children, then I pity you. That is, if you have kids. Probably you won't, but just in case.

I used to really like you Co! The thing is, is that I stayed the same and you are trying to become your Liberal Professor Mother. You will not change my mind about certain things. Our debates were fun, and that's what I kind of liked about you. Constantly butting heads with you. I have disassociated myself with negative feminist influence, and you were top on that list. Actually you were the only thing on that list, so in some way, that makes you partly responsible for me wisening up. I'll give you that much, so thanks! My disgust with your behavior was stronger than my need to keep up with a very tired friendship.