Summary

Part-time jobs, homework, school activities and friends often are prioritized higher than is sleep. Some 55% of all car crashes in which drivers fell asleep involve people under age 26, according to the National Institutes of Health's National Center on Sleep Disorders Research in Bethesda, Md.

A report issued by the National Sleep Foundation in Washington says that the total average sleep time during the school week decreases from 7 hours and 42 minutes for 13-year-olds to 7 hours and 4 minutes for 19-year-olds. At the same time, teens' needs for sleep actually increase.

Studies show that while fifth and sixth graders can be wide awake all day after about nine hours' sleep, teenagers need 10 hours to be alert all day long. Other researchers put the necessary amount of sleep for teens at about 9 hours and 15 minutes a night.

In addition, high-school-age children appear to undergo a shift in their biological 'body clock,' which tells them when to rise and go to bed, he says: There's some evidence that teenagers' biological clock may be programmed to start turning off later at night and turn on later in morning. According to the National Sleep Foundation report, studies have shown that the typical high school student's natural bedtime is 11 p.m. or later.

In some cases, excessive daytime sleepiness can be a sign of something more than a problem with your teen's internal clock. Other problems can include:

• Medication side effects. Many medications — including over-the-counter cold and allergy medications and prescription medications to treat depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder — can affect sleep.
• Depression. Sleeping too much or too little is a common sign of depression.

Tiips for better sleep for teens:

— Remove clutter from your teens' bedrooms.

— Paint walls calm colors, such as soft blues and greens, tan, light yellow or peach.

— Schedule early dinners; big meals close to bedtime require digestive processes that can keep you awake.

— Have your teen shower at night and set clothes out in the evening, so he or she can get a few more minutes of sleep in the morning.

— Encourage more exercise if your teen is not participating in a sport.

— Limit caffeinated drinks.

— Help your teen set a regular sleep-wake routine that won't vary by more than two hours on the weekends.

Sleeping pills and other medications generally aren't recommended for teens.