Generation Sleepless
by Heather Turgeon, MFT and Julie Wright, MFT
Every school night, the average teen in the United States loses more than two hours of sleep. This book is based on research and experience of those working in the United States, but this problem extends to other places as well. By high school, most kids are chronically and severely sleep deprived. They sleep in for long hours on the weekends, potentially inducing circadian abnormalities (social jetlag). There’s a notion that adolescents can get by while skimping on sleep, but research indicates that the opposite is true: sleep becomes more vital in the teen years, as the brain and body go through unique developmental changes. Good sleep in middle and high school helps to protect our kids from depression and anxiety, encourage better academic and athletic performance, , and support family connection.
In this essential book, psychotherapists and sleep specialists Heather Turgeon and Julie Wright draw on the latest scientific research, as well as their work with families in their clinical practice to help readers:
- foster a teen’s self-motivation for sleeping well
- alter family practices around phones, social media, and screen time
- draw on an understanding of teens’ night-owl tendencies to create smart sleep habits
- lay out steps for sleep-friendly schools and promoting systemic changes that help teens get the rest they need
This first-of-its-kind book is packed with clear and practical advice for parents as well as an eye-opening call to action for teachers, principals, colleges, coaches, and policy makers.