Parent to Parent: Sleep

WSVN--Thirteen-year-old Chelsea Diaz isn't a master artist just yet, but she hopes to be one day.

Chelsea Diaz: "My favorite thing to do is paint. I like painting a lot."

And like the famous painters Michelangelo and Van Gogh, Chelsea stays up way past her bedtime to get her masterpieces done.

Chelsea Diaz: "Usually I go to sleep at 11, 12 in the night. Sometimes even I stay up till 2am working on projects and I have to wake up at 6am everyday."

And when that happens, Chelsea winds up dozing throughout the day.

Victoria Arguelles: "She quite frequently goes to bed late. If she can get to bed at 10:30, that's a miracle. She doesn't get as much rest as she should, so that's a concern."

Lynn Martinez: "There may be a reason to worry if your kids aren't hitting the sack early enough. Experts say sleep deprivation can effect learning."

Dr. Debbie Glasser: "Kids are growing they need their rest, and when they don't get enough rest, it can not only affect their mood, but their behavior, their functioning in school."

If your kids are still sleepy or cranky when they wake up, Dr. Debbie says go back to basics.

Start by encouraging healthy sleep habits.

Dr. Debbie: "Consistent routines are important at any age."

That means turn off the TV and computers at a certain time every night.

Make sure your kids don't procrastinate when doing their homework.

And if they seem to be overwhelmed, cut back on afterschool activities.

Dr. Debbie: "Sometimes it's a matter of helping kids organize their thoughts and their notes so they can do their homework more efficiently, or budget their time."

If that doesn't still work, Dr. Debbie says you should observe your child for a couple of days and re-evaluate their sleep schedule.

In the last couple of weeks, Chelsea's workload has lightened up.

Now, she's hoping that will help her catch up on her z's.

Chelsea Diaz: "I do hope to get a full night's sleep because I need that."

Victoria Arguelles: "Despite the lack of sleep I am very proud of her hard work, she's worked very hard and i think it shows."

Lynn Martinez: "Parents, if your teenager trys to catch up on their sleep over the weekend, that's perfectly fine, but make sure they're not sleeping half the weekend away because that's also unhealthy."

IF YOU HAVE A CONCERN DR. DEBBIE CAN HELP YOU WITH E-MAIL US AT:
parent@wsvn.com

DR. DEBBIE GLASSER'S WEBSITE:
www.newsforparents.org