Fox 8 – Maria Scali
“Our teens are getting more and more tired. Sleep experts say that teenagers should be getting eight to nine hours of sleep a night. But, an estimated thirty to fifty percent of teens are like Charra Thompson, 17, of Cleveland who gets about six or seven hours of sleep a night. She feels the lack of sleep affects her. “I don’t get enough energy that I need. And, I think I need more energy for the day,” she said. Dr. Carol Rosen of the Pediatric Sleep Center at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s said getting enough sleep is as important as diet and exercise for teen’s overall health. “If you’re short on sleep, it gives you a very negative impact on your mood, your focus, your attention, your school work, increased risk of accidents,” Dr. Rosen said. Charra has a good idea why today’s teens don’t get enough sleep: “Electronics,” she said, smiling. Dr. Rosen agrees. Her number one recommendation for teens: make your bed a ‘sleep only’ zone. “Some of those newer electronics like your iPad give you lots of light, late-night light. And that late-night light moves your clock even further,” Dr. Rosen added.”(more)