1.  Why is sleep important? 
A lot of this comes from Leslie Swanson’s research (UM Depression Center)

2. Sleep Is necessary for executive functions
Is necessary to react quickly
Is necessary to work accurately and effectively
Is necessary to think abstractly and focus
Is necessary to be creative

4. Sleep Facts Teens need 9 hours of sleep to perform at an optimal level
The only thing that replaces sleep is sleep
Environmental conditions, such as temperature, noise, light, bed comfort and electronic distractions, play a significant role in one's ability to get proper sleep— and, subsequently, in overall sleep-related wellness. Turn out the lights.

5. Biological Factors Teens Circadian clock shifts forward
Your circadian rhythm is basically a 24-hour internal clock that is running in the background of your brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. It's also known as your sleep/wake cycle Your brain, in turn, sends a signal to your body to release melatonin, which makes your body tired.
In turns out that adolescents have a delayed release of regular daily melatonin, which causes them to become sleepy later at night, hours after nightfall. Given the fact that teenagers have an established need for 8-10 hours of sleep per night, the delayed melatonin release that allows teenagers to fall asleep late in the day has the expected effect of predisposing them to remain asleep for longer into the late morning or early afternoon, when it is feasible.
Ask: Do you remember when you started wanting to sleep later? Go to bed later? (adolescence)

6. Environmental Factors
Early start times
Sleep not viewed as important
Difference in weekday/weekend sleep patterns (or college class schedule) creates “jet lag.”
Technology
Lack of exercise
Lack of exercise: In a culture based on luxury (U.S.) we are not exhausted at bedtime. Exercise is critical to sleep.

7. Biological + Environmental Factors =
Major, chronic sleep deprivation

8. Some facts to consider:
80% of adolescents get less than the recommended amount of sleep on school nights
56% of teens report getting less sleep than they need
By 12th grade, average sleep on school night is 6.9 hours
Only 5% average 8 hours/night

9. So What? Increased risk of depression:
Less sleep = mood swings, problems regulating emotion (executive functions)
Young adults with poor sleep were 4X more likely to develop depression

10. Increased anxiety and anxiety symptoms:
REM sleep processes memories and helps store them in the hippocampus where they belong.
This is too little for a BIG discussion. Suffice it to say that trauma, even anxiety can be the result of FEELING things that really should be memories (regrets, trauma, etc.). Sleep is when we process things that happen during the day. We put them in the hippocampus and that allows us to remember events, but hopefully not feel the stress of the events. Hope that makes sense. Sleep is critical.

11. Risk: Drowsy Driving
National poll: 68% of seniors in high school have driven while drowsy; 15 % at least once/week.
1 in 6 car crashes with a fatality are due to drowsy driving or falling asleep at the wheel.

12. Risk: Decreased Academic Performance
Shortened total sleep time, erratic sleep/wake schedules, late bed and rise times = poor performance at school

13. What can you do?
Wake up and go to bed at approximately the same time every day of the week
Make the last minutes before bed a “wind-down” time
Keep a log for one week to calculate how much sleep you’re getting

14. Tips Continued. . .
Ask for help in organizing your time and fitting in more sleep
Limit caffeine (8 hours)
Don’t take cell phone, Ipad, laptop to bed!
Don’t watch TV in bed
Get regular vigorous exercise

15. Tips Continued Meditate (Headspace) Have a regular bedtime routine
Advocate for less homework, later start times, reduced pressure to “do it all.”
Reconsider capitalism is mine -- but really. I mean it.