Number 22
Here is the latest edition of YouthMoves – a news-sheet for people interested in youth issues in
Written and Produced by Kirrilie Smout, Psychologist, Speaker and Youth Specialist
WELCOME
Welcome to the latest edition of YouthMoves, a news-sheet that gives ‘snatches’ of youth news, info & resources relevant to busy people relating to teens.
What’s in this issue?
- Teenagers’ sleep
- PLUS find out about useful youth resources
- PLUS find out about upcoming youth events
- Our contact details
- How to unsubscribe OR join up friends and colleagues to this newsletter
If you would like to see the back issues of Youth Moves log onto our website www.innovateonline.net
If I can assist your work with young people in any way (by offering counselling services, speaking/training or just answering a question about youth issues), please feel free to phone me on 8357 1711, or email kirriliesmout@innovateonline.net.
PS, I am often asked about reprints: Please feel free to reprint articles in school newsletters providing the following acknowledgement is made: Kirrilie Smout, Innovate Psychology and Education, www.innovateonline.net.
Sleepy Teens Not Getting Out Of Bed
Was your morning like this? The teenager in the house ignores the alarm and stays in bed. The parent calls out a wake up message, the teenager ignores this too. The parent tries again, and again. On the fifth try, the sleepy teen senses the parent is about to completely lose it and so reluctantly stumbles out of bed. Breakfast is missed, there is a last-minute scramble to get ready for school, the bus is long gone, and the whole family is grumpy.
Sound familiar? It might help to understand this is not just about stubborn teenage behaviour. Scientists have found that teenagers have different sleep needs and patterns to adults. First, teenagers actually need more sleep that both adults AND younger children to cope with the demands of life. From around the beginning of puberty until their early twenties, the average teenager needs around 9.2 hours of sleep per night compared to the 7.5 to 8 hours needed by adults. It’s no wonder teens are sleepy around 7:00am if they have gone to bed after 11:00pm – this means they are over an hour short of what they need… every single night.
So why don’t teens just go to bed earlier? There is a three part answer to this question. First, teens have a strong need for “independent” time every day. For many teens, their day is taken up with organised activities (e.g. school, sport, work and homework) or spent around family. Sometimes the only time they get to dream, think, play and imagine without supervision (either on their own, or with virtual company via phone or MSN) is late at night when everyone else is in bed. This time is so important to them that they will forego sleep to get it.
The second reason teens go to bed later is physiological. Adolescents experience a “phase shift” during puberty. They feel LESS sleepy and find it harder to go to sleep late at night than adults do, whilst at the same time feeling MORE sleepy early in the morning than adults do.
Thirdly, teens don’t go to bed earlier because being alert in the morning and during the day is not a big deal to them. After all – it’s only school!
The good news is that this does change. A study of 25,000 people in
Some practical ideas about coping with teenage morning dramas are found in the “forum” section of this newsletter. However, the first tactic for parents is to try to stop seeing late bedtimes and late rising as simply a matter of “unco-operative” behaviour and instead attempt to work together with their teenager in coming up with strategies that might alleviate some stress for the whole family.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK FROM Oliver Wendell Holmes (American Physician, Poet and Humorist. 1809-1894)
“Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire. It was given to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate thing.”
STATS and FACTS: On average, an 18- to 24-year-old costs a family $322 per week, while a 5- to 9-year-old costs $164 per week.
Welfare Rights Centre,
NEWS AND EVENTS
International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development: 19th Biennial Meeting, July 3rd 2006 - July 7th 2006,
‘Parenting Imperatives II’, the 2nd National Parenting Conference, May 25th – 27th 2006, Adelaide Convention Centre: This conference is designed for professionals who support and relate with parents. Topics to be covered include parent education, parenting teenagers, cultural differences in parenting, managing children’s behaviour, parenting after trauma, and working in partnership with each other and with parents. For more information, contact Charissa Maule, email: charissa.maule@cyh.sa.gov.au or go to http://www.cyh.com/parentingconference/index.htm.
Amigos (Addressing Mental Illness and Giving Others Support) is one of Child and Youth Health’s The Second Story programs for young people (16-25 yrs) who experience mental illness or are dealing with significant mental health issues. Amigos includes peer education training, a community support group, hospital visiting and community education and awareness projects. For further information, contact: Colette (Central Adelaide): (08) 8232 0233, Mary (Northern Adelaide): (08) 8255 3477 or Belinda (
Forum: TEENAGE MORNING DRAMAS
Dear Kirrilie, My 15-year-old son simply refuses to get out of bed on time in the morning. Any tips?
Frustrated parent
In addition to the teen-sleep article in this news-sheet, here are some other ideas to consider.
1. Consider banning phones, MSN and email late at night. These are the biggest culprits in keeping teens up too late. Some teens will actually go to bed earlier if they can’t use them. Keep in mind, however, that your teenager does need free time each night to communicate with friends or just hang out, so if late at night is your teen’s only opportunity for this, the whole night’s program might need to be reconsidered.
2. Try insisting that bags are packed for school the night before, that clothes are out, and breakfast cereal is on the table. Anything that can be done at night should be done rather than in the morning.
3. Don’t “rescue” teenagers from being late for school. If they normally catch the bus, never drive them yourself unless they are sick. If you have a “no drive to school” policy then they eventually get used to it and either get the bus or have to get the later bus. If you always drive the teenager to school, tell them when you will leave. Leave that time every morning regardless of whether they are in the car. If they aren’t there, leave anyway (take the other kids or go have a coffee). Go back later and pick them up and take them to school late. Then let them experience the consequences that the school imposes.
4. If teenagers are grumpy in the morning, try not to get into conversations with them too much and have relatively few requirements of them. Let them be.
Good luck!
Kirrilie
RESOURCES
HOT TOPIC – HOMELESS YOUTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
The Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) has analysed issues in the structure and practice of mental health services which relating to homeless youth in need of these services. The CHP’s report on these findings - Making a place to belong: Homeless young people, support, accommodation and exclusion- has been released online at www.chp.org.au.
YOUTH HEALTHLINE- 1300 13 17 19
This is a confidential telephone information service for parents in
Guide of Sanity & Survival for Young Parents (GOSSYP)
Child and Youth Health has produced this book of stories and information for young parents. To
order a hard copies ($4 each+ postage and
handling), contact ParentingSA: Ph: (08) 8303
1660, Fax: (08) 8303 1653, using the forms at http://www.cyh.com/SubContent.aspx?p=362.
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