Teens

1
Teens Sleep
Teens need about 9.25 hours of sleep each night.
During puberty, their bodies secrete melatonin
differently, which pushes their sleep and wake
times later.
Lack of sleep can cause the following in
teens Poor concentration irritability Sleepines
s during class poor self-confidence Behavioral
issues poor judgment Emotional
ups-and-downs weakened immune system Depression
Inability to deal with stress Dependence on
caffeine or other energy supplements Over or
under eating

• Suggestions to help your teen get the sleep he or
  she needs
• Reinforce stress management techniques they have
  learned (progressive relaxation, mental
  vacations, etc.)
• Limit caffeine consumption
• Exercise just not before bedtime if possible
• Turn the cell phone off.
• Encourage them to shower at night and set out
  clothes the night before
• Go to bed and get up at the same time most days,
  no more than 2 hours different on the
  weekends/vacations.
• Avoid heated conversations or intense video games
  right before bed time.
• Turn the TV off soft music is okay

2
Teens Healthy Weight
Teens bodies are rapidly changing. Girls can
gain as many as 40 lbs. during puberty, which is
normal development. A healthy weight for a teen
is NOT a fixed number, but varies for each
person. Weightism unhealthy attitudes and
teasing about weight and body shape/size is as
unhealthy as any other ism ex. Racism. It
should not be tolerated in schools or homes.
Keeping teens in the middle, where health is the
optimum, can be challenging in our culture.

• 4 Cornerstones to Promote Positive Body Image,
  Healthy Weight and Wellness in Your Teen
• -Based on the work of Dianne Neumark-Stainer,
  2005
• Model healthy behaviors
• Provide an environment that makes it easy for
  teens to make healthy choices
• Focus less on weight instead focus on behaviors
  and overall health
• Provide a supportive environment with lots of
  talking and even more listening

• Academy of Eating Disorders Guidelines for
  Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs, 2009
• Focusing on health, not weight, may be key to
  avoiding harm to body image and eating behaviors
• Interventions should focus only on modifiable
  behaviors (Weight is not a behavior and therefore
  not an appropriate target for behavior
  modification)
• Weighing students should only be performed when
  there is a clear and compelling need for the
  information
• Interventions should be weight-neutral ex. Not
  have specific goals for weight change but aim to
  increase healthy living at any size.