Elizabeth Jones

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As soon as the New Year has begun, the return to school for our young people has also begun.

Whether they were preparing for exams in person or continuing online, teens and their parents have had to quickly readjust to education and learning.

While our system places an extreme focus on results and outcomes, it is essential that young people feel curious.

Curiosity is the desire to know more, to be able to understand things and apply ideas.

Curious teens are generally more determined and relate to people and their environment more intentionally.

It goes beyond learning to learn, but rather to seek to understand.

The Adolescent Brain During adolescent development, young people naturally question everything.

Parents quickly realize that preadolescents and teens not just accept instructions or rules as they are, but add their ideas, rebel, or re-create their own.

These attributes, while challenging for parents, are really helpful.

They represent an important stage of critical thinking. Ultimately, we want young people to have the ability to reason and make rational and productive decisions.

The process of acquiring these skills is testing the family context and can be supported by parenting approaches.

Allowing preadolescents and teens to be curious, ask questions, and express their opinions is critical to this process.

Patience Parents who ask many questions and look for answers create children who are inclined to do the same.

That said, it can be frustrating and tiring for parents when their teens are simply questioning or opposing everything.

This is a common challenge identified by parents of teens. However, at this time parents need to be reminded and comforted that not only is this behavior expected, but if managed well, it leads to positive development.

Be calm, attentive and patient when your child seems to be missing out on something, but take advantage of these opportunities to turn around and ask for ideas and solutions.

Reformulates potential conflict times in teaching moments. Reimagining Education While the goal of all parents is to support the academic success of their teens, it is important to remember that academia and success are extremely broad concepts that extend far beyond exams. and certificates.

Emotional intelligence, creativity, innovation, communication skills, volunteering, and leadership are just some of the holistic skills that all teens should develop.

Many naturally curious and creative teens are denied the opportunity to explore natural skills, and instead are overburdened with classes and extra classes.

While it is important for all young people to receive a basic education and adapt to their abilities and potentials, parents are advised to allow preadolescents and adolescents to intuitively explore other interests that may lead them to work. emotional or even to a future.

Find Your Ideas and Allow Your Mistakes One of the most important communication tools between parents and teens is to give them a voice and an opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts.

Even when parents can literally see the likely outcome of a decision directly, young people need to make decisions and learn from them.

We all learn through life experiences both those that are immediately positive and those that cause us discomfort.

As this new year and school term continue, take active steps to engage your youth and open lines of communication.

Support them in making decisions and allow them to play. When things are not going well, support but do not punish and when the results are good, praise and reward them.

Curious teens develop holistically, which is the ultimate goal of raising teens.

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Adolescence is formative and sleep is an essential component of development. As the mind and body begin to transform into adulthood, both the quality and quantity of sleep are important.

One of the first things I ask a teen who is involved in a session with me is, “How’s your dream?” My observation is that most teenagers do not have a good quality of sleep.

The pandemic has made things worse with more and more teens living a sedentary lifestyle. Several studies have shown that adolescents need between eight and nine hours of sleep each night to function at their optimum level.

Unfortunately, most teens don’t get the hours of sleep they need.

Many teens think it’s okay not to get enough sleep. That they can “work” with less sleep.

Some believe that they may go through days of less sleep and then regain lost sleep by sleeping more at other times.

This is a recipe for disaster! Practice simple breathing techniques before going to bed to sleep better.

What are some of the benefits of good sleep? * Strengthens your immune system * Strengthens your heart * Prevents weight gain * Improves your mood and emotional health * Helps increase endurance and stamina * Helps improve cognitive function, including memory * Helps increase energy levels and increase productivity * Sharpen attention * Helps manage chronic stress What are some of the negative effects of chronic sleep deprivation? Continuous sleep deprivation can affect teens as follows: * Dark circles under the eyes and tired look * Irritable bowel syndrome and other gastric disorders * Increased or decreased eating habits * Affects concentration and concentration * Increases waking dreams and inattention * Increases forgetfulness * Increases moodiness * Affects decision making * Increases procrastination and lack of interest / enthusiasm * Increases pre-existing mental health conditions such as depression Anxiety, ADHD * Increases risk behavior * Negative effect on different vital organs * May cause a number of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes * Low grades and academic performance Studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation affects the brain’s ability to absorb and learn new information.

It has also been shown that sleep deprivation can cause mental illness.

Sleep deprivation has been closely linked to psychiatric disorders such as ADHD (formerly known as ADD), anxiety spectrum disorders, depression, psychosis, and mood disorders. A study by the University of Texas found that teens were four times more likely to suffer from depression if they had sleep deprivation than their counterparts.

Severe depression can lead to suicidal thoughts. Sleep deprivation leads to risky behaviors such as substance use that can lead to drug-induced insomnia.

Drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine cause sleep deprivation. Another study published in 2020 found that adolescents who slept poorly at age 15 who did not have anxiety or depression at that time were more likely to develop anxiety or depression when they were 17, 21, and 24 years old.

What to do and what not to do for teens Here are some things teens can do to help regulate their sleep patterns and make sure they get a good night’s sleep: * Take a hot bath just before bedtime * Practice simple breathing techniques before going to bed * Practice meditation * Listen to the sounds of nature or instrumental music * Keep your room as dark as possible at night * Stay active during the day so you are tired of at night * Follow a strict sleep routine for 21 days and hopefully become a habit * Stay awake every day (including holidays) * Don’t listen to sad songs * Don’t listen to optimistic fast songs * Don’t play video games * Don’t exercise at night * Don’t drink coffee, energy drinks or soft drinks at night * Don’t be on your cell phone, laptop or watch TV at bedtime * Don’t have smart conversations lectual stimulating mind with friends late at night * Stop thinking excessively * Should ensure 8-9 hours of sleep at night. Not during the day. * Strictly do not sleep during the day *

Make sure you are not sleeping too much. Sleeping regularly for more than 9 hours a night can cause many health complications. They should feel ready for a new day.

If someone just wakes up from a deep sleep, they are likely to feel a little dazed, but that numbness should go away in a few minutes and they should start to feel completely rested.

Treatment Options Advice: If teens are thinking too much and have problems with something emotional, then a few conversation therapy sessions can be very beneficial.

Counseling offers a person a safe space to take out their worries and pick up coping strategies that will help them get back on track. In most cases, counseling has been shown to be extremely helpful in helping teens improve their overall mental health and sleep disorders.

A qualified counselor can help teens not only address their sleep problems but also reveal deeper causes of sleep deprivation. If a teen is experiencing sleep problems, he or she should seek the help of a counselor or psychotherapist.

This should be the first step in seeking professional help and should be done without delay.

Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy works on the subconscious part of the mind and can help teens experience deep levels of relaxation. It is a wonderful tool to eliminate the symptoms of insomnia and promote sound sleep. There are no reported side effects of hypnotherapy and it is reasonably safe if used under the supervision of a trained professional.

Medications: Short-term and long-term treatments are available to help treat acute and chronic sleep conditions. It is best to consult a psychiatrist who can prescribe the correct medication for the affected person.

A psychiatrist is trained in psychiatric medications that are often used to treat insomnia and other sleep disorders. Keep in mind that not all medications create habits, and if used correctly, they can help resolve sleep deprivation issues fairly quickly. Please do not hesitate to consult a specialist if necessary.