Alpine Communications Blog
Log Off and Sleep Tight
Based on current data, most teens require 9 hours
of sleep per night, and adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep. However, most
of us are not getting the sleep we need.
Teens and Adolescents - Sleepy "Gen Y"
High-tech "sleep stealers" such as televisions,
computers, cell phones and MP3 players not only cut into sleep time, but they
often make their user feel active and alert when they're used near bedtime
and/or in the bedroom. For many adolescents, technology is encroaching on a good
night's sleep. More things are competing for their time, and in a high-tech,
24/7 world, sending instant messages to friends, talking on the phone, or surfing
the Internet
can be inviting outlets for teens when the
day has been hectic and filled with stressors.
Internet
Chat Rooms and Sleep
The Internet and chat rooms can also become
a serious problem. The Internet is on 24 hours a day, giving people endless
activities and entertainment long after bedtime.
Chat rooms can be found on any topic imaginable, and staying up "talking" can be addictive for some. Be careful to monitor your computer habits, though, as they can induce a waking stupor that makes it difficult to fall asleep when you finally log off.
The paper Waking Up to the Insomnia Crisis: How Insomnia is Costing America More Than $42 Billion a Year and What We Can Do About It suggests that while up to 70 million Americans might suffer from some form of insomnia, a high number of those cases are undiagnosed and untreated, even as the condition becomes a mounting financial burden on America's employers and the health care system.
The economic and social impact of insomnia is significant, according to the researchers:
- Employees with insomnia miss work twice as much as those who do not suffer from the condition.
- Insomnia costs employers about 4.4 days of wages per untreated individual over a six-month period, not including money spent on indirect costs, such as lost productivity and costs to treat the medical consequences of insomnia.
What can you do to promote healthy sleeping habits? Keep "sleep stealers" out of the bedroom, so put the TV and computer in a common room instead of your teen's bedroom. Consider establishing a bedtime routine that includes non-stimulating activities such as reading in a sleep-conducive environment.
Visit Sleeping Smart from the National Sleep Foundation to get the facts about insomnia and advise for getting a good night's sleep.
