How important is sleep?

Did you know that the average American teenager is only getting around 7 hours of sleep when they really should be getting around 9? This has a major impact on mental health, not to mention a major impact on how well teens can pay attention in school. However, many teens find it hard to fall asleep before 11:00, and sometimes even later. A late bedtime mixed with the 6:30 alarm to get up for school is a recipe for disaster.

-A great way to make sure you can get to sleep early at night is to make sure that you are getting enough exercise throughout the day. This will ensure that you are worn out, and you will find that it is a lot easier to fall asleep that way.

- Another tip for making sure you get enough sleep at night is to shut off your phone around an hour before you would like to fall asleep. Studies show that the light from electronic devices tend to make it harder to fall asleep at night.

- Watch your caffeine intake. Too much coffee or sugary sodas throughout the day will be sure to make it tough to catch those much-needed z's at night.