Sleep routines. When our kids are babies it’s a precious thing…we KNOW how important it is to them and we feel it in ourselves when we don’t get enough.

Yet as our little people grow into big people and our own sleep deprived days become distant, it’s easy (and common) for sleep to slip down our ever growing list of priorities.

But our kids ARE still developing even when they look more like the men and women they will soon be, so I wanted to post a wee reminder of the value the simplicity of sleep brings.

First of all…how many hours are “sufficient” for adolescents and young adults?

Ages 12-17: 8 or more hours
Ages 18-21: 8 or more hours
Ages 22+: 7 or more hours

And what are the signs of sleep deprivation?

The effects of ongoing sleep deprivation may include:

👎🏻 Concentration difficulties
👎🏼Mentally ‘drifting off’ in class
👎🏽Shortened attention span
👎🏿Memory impairment
👎🏾Poor decision making
👎🏽Lack of enthusiasm
👎🏼Moodiness and aggression
👎🏻Depression
👎Risk-taking behavior
👎Slower physical reflexes
👎🏻Clumsiness, which may result in physical injuries
👎🏼Reduced sporting performance
👎🏽Reduced academic performance
👎🏾 ‘sick days’ from school because of tiredness
👎🏿Truancy

So as we look at our tweens and teens and wonder how the heck we can support them…it may be an idea to start with their sleep.