As we are now in the thick of exam season spare a thought for all those teenagers thrust into the midst of a stressful few weeks – and spare a thought for their worried parents too.
I remember it well, the late night cramming, followed by a fitful sleep, followed by very little breakfast followed by a sweat-inducing, head-exploding exam! It isn’t pleasant so whatever us parents can do to help must be done.
We might not be able to write their essays for them, but we can help our teens get more sleep, which in turn will help them put in a better performance on the day. Not to mention keep their mood, weight and skin in check.
If you do have a teen and are worried about their lack of sleep, you might want to take a look at the microsite,www.teen-sleep.org.uk which was set up by The Sleep Council.
Aimed directly at the teenager rather than the parent it gives fun but informative advice on how to get enough slumber to remain healthy, happy and harmonious.
Practical pointers include why switching off gadgets is a must, plus which foods are good or bad to to eat before bedtime.
Recent research by The Sleep Council shows that a worryingly high number of teenagers are not getting as much sleep as they need in order to function at their best in the build up to exams. They count technology, school worries and relationships as key problems.
I don’t think I’m wrong in saying that for most of us, technology wasn’t a factor as it didn’t exist like it does today (I am really showing my age now!)…but school and relationship worries are things we can all identify with. We all went through some sort of drama in our early years that seemed like the end of the world at the time. In reality, it wasn’t worth worrying a jot about. But who are we to belittle our children’s anxieties? All we can do is be there to help them through. And if that means buying them a brand new gorgeous bed so they can get a really good night’s sleep, well so be it!
