Unplug Earlier and Sleep Will Follow

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, 41 million Americans get less than six hours of sleep per night. Many teens get even less. The research is clear: sleep is critical to your child’s physical and emotional well being and, in turn, her success in school. One way you can help your child get more sleep: require her to unplug from technology earlier in the evening. The artificial light that smartphones, tablets, and computers emit stimulates more cortisol (the hormone that tells the brain to be alert and productive) than the sun itself! By eliminating technology toward bedtime, you will remove a major distraction from the sleep equation while also making it easier for your child to fall asleep.