School and increased exam burden can be very challenging for some teenagers. Waking up early in the morning every day to go through the same routine can make life monotonous and uneventful. Waking up early is not only a problem for school-going children, but several adults also suffer from this particular problem.
A recommended sleep of approximately 9 hours is essential for teenagers to keep their minds healthy rejuvenated. However, recent studies and analyses have indicated that a considerable number of teenagers are getting less amount of sleep in today’s times. This is due to the work- burden in schools, exam- stress, peer pressure, body-image issues, or mental stress.
Many studies have also indicated that many teenagers stay up late engrossed in their smartphones or laptops. Social media addiction has significantly affected the daily routine of the students and disrupted their sleeping patterns.
A teenager or any other person needs motivation in the morning to get out of bed. Therefore, children need the guidance of the parents to establish discipline in their lifestyle. Here are a few ways in which parents can help their teenager get up early in the morning:-
1. Remove All The Major Distractions And Electronic Gadgets
Create strict rules and prevent your kids from using electronic gadgets for at least an hour before going to bed. Provide them other alternatives like reading a book or writing it down in a journal. Too much screen time can also compromise their vision and cause headaches.
Don’t let your kid take their smartphone or laptop with them to the bedroom. If your child is texting late at night, then you will have to control their habit. The temptation to reply to text messages can hamper their sleep pattern. Social media addiction is another thing that is needed to be managed.
These habits can continue into adulthood and compromise their management abilities. They will face problems, and their life will become less productive. If a proper schedule is followed from a young age, the child is less susceptible to falling prey to bad habits. Electronic gadgets can also distract teenagers from their studies and other activities.
2. Set A Bedtime
Decide upon a bedtime for your kid and make them follow it. Most parents send their kids to bed early to make time for themselves. Parents who have no rules established regarding the bedtime for the children can face problems in the future. A child may develop discipline, and in the process, their sleeping pattern might suffer. Set some ground rules and guide them regarding sleeping habits.
3. Create Weekend Sleeping Rules
In the name of the weekend, many students oversleep to compensate for their time wasted on the other days. While this thought can be tempting, it should not be considered a healthy practice. Teenagers may remain up late, thinking that they will over-sleep during the weekends to make up for their lack of sleep. As a parent, you need to address this issue and set some group rules regarding the sleep pattern during weekends. Establish a reasonable bedtime. Also, plan out activities for your kids to practice during the weekends, which would prevent them from sleeping out of boredom.
4. Discourage Afternoon Naps
Many parents make their children indulge in afternoon naps thinking that this will drain out their tiredness. But if a child sleeps in the afternoon, he/ she may face trouble sleeping during the nighttime. Therefore, instead of encouraging afternoon naps, assist them in some activities. Watch a movie or go to the garden. This will help your child feel relax and also drain off all the school stress. Furthermore, a good night’s sleep will also be ensured in the process.
5. Provide Necessary Consequences
If your teen is adamant and refuses to follow the orders, then confront them and provide them with the consequences. Use logical consequences to reprimand your child. Over time, your child will adjust and also understand the importance of maintaining a proper sleeping schedule.
6. Provide Incentives
Provide the incentives and privileges to your child based on their behavior. Before handing over your car to your teen, make him/ her promise that they will wake up early the next morning and exercise, etc. Engage in a reward system to ensure good results.
