From Matt Howard
Youth Service Bureau

Teen health issues can sometimes be forgotten as busy parents struggle to maintain order and discipline in a home. If their teenagers arenít breaking any rules, parents may feel all is well. However, teens still need our guidance and direction on how to take care of their bodies
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Research shows that teens need 8 1/2 to more than 9 hours of sleep a night to stay healthy and alert, (www.kidshealth.org).
Many of our teenagers are falling asleep in classes and, because they are so tired, are unable to concentrate properly on their schoolwork when they are awake. If the research holds true, a teen that needs to get up at 6 a.m. for school would need to go to bed at 9 p.m. the night before. While this might seem like a stretch, it can act as a guide for parents as they set curfew and ìlights outî rules at home on school nights.

In addition to the amount of sleep teens need, parents would do well to keep an eye on how much exercise their teens are getting.
ìAmericans teens are getting fatter. Theyíre spending more time in front of computer screens and TV sets than meeting up with friends and playing sports, (kidshealth.org).

Teens need more than 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day to stay healthy. If a teen is not participating in an after school sport, job or hobby that is providing this exercise, they will need to get it in some other way. Running, walking, gym memberships and active family outings may be just a few ways for them to get the exercise they need. While motivating teenagers to find activities to do outside of the house may be challenging, there will be rewards involved. Besides a healthier teen, a physically tired teen may be much more likely to get to bed on time and get the amount of sleep they so desperately need.

If our teens are sleeping better and getting the exercise they need, theyíll be setting themselves up to be successful during their days at school and work. When teens are successful we know weíve done our job well.

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