Laura Zevan, LCSW 

Mental Health Clinician  

August is back to school month and there are plenty of things to do to prepare for a healthy and successful 2015/2016 school year.  Did you know that almost 70 percent of high school students are not getting the recommended hours of sleep on school nights?

The following sleep health tips are recommended by the National Sleep Foundation:  

• Go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning;
• Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment, which is neither too hot or too cold;
• Make sure your bed is comfortable and use it only for sleeping and not for other activities, such as reading, watching TV, or listening to music;
• Remove all TVs, computers, and other "gadgets" from the bedroom and
• Avoid large meals a few hours before bedtime.

Encourage students to follow these tips so they are well rested and ready to start the school year off right.  It is important to know that the overall health of the adolescent is strongly linked to their academic achievement. Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors. One way parents could help is by providing a healthy and well balanced breakfast before sending their adolescent off to school. According to The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention "eating a healthy breakfast is associated with improved cognitive function (especially memory), reduced absenteeism, and improved mood."

Guarantee your adolescent gets plenty of sleep and consumes a healthy diet in order to successfully start off the 2015/2016 school year!

http://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/matte/pdf/2011/teen_sleep.pdf 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/index.htm 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/facts.htm