Dear Parents,
In the past 10 - 15 years, scientists have made major advances in the areas of brain research.
This information can really help us sort out some of the things that are going on with our teens.
I noticed a big change in my daughter's sleep habits when she became a teen. As a child, she would always prefer to sleep a little later, but upon waking her for school, she would get up with a reasonably pleasant disposition. That was until she became a teen. Once the teen years hit, she would practically growl at me when I woke her up. I used to refer to it as "waking the beast".
Do you experience this with your teen?
There's actually a good reason for it. The teen brain goes through a major growth spurt right around the time of adolescence. Their brains are literally adding new brain cells, and there is a thickening of the grey matter. This is accompanied by the physical growth spurt and hormonal changes that their bodies go through during adolescence.
Babies and very small children also go through a period of rapid growth, and you will recall that they needed a lot of sleep during that time. Your teen also experiences a marked increase in her need for sleep during this time of rapid brain development and physical growth. Your teen requires 9.25 hours of sleep per night. However, studies indicate that teens on average get about 7.5 hours of sleep per night. Therefore, many of them are experiencing the effects of sleep deprivation. This can include fatigue and moodiness.
Tomorrow I will tell you another reason why this increase in brain cells effects your teen's behavior.
To Your Family,
Jane Cabrera
The Parent Success Coach
Get My Free Report at
http://www.SolutionsForParenting.com/
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