Dr. Betty Kamen, Ph.D.

Table Talk Health Hints

Nutrition Hints

from Betty Kamen, PhD, and Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, MD
Copyright © 2000-2007 by Nutrition Encounter, all rights reserved
May be redistributed only with full attribution
and a link to www.bettykamen.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hint 2431: Teenagers should be encouraged to get up on weekends at roughly the same time they get up for school during the week. Sleeping late on weekends may lead to poor academic performance.

Teenagers' sleep is typically restricted during the school week; they often stay up late due to homework, but they must rise early to get to class. Consequently, they often try to "catch up" on weekends by sleeping later and longer.

But staying up late sleeping in over the weekend resets the body's internal clock to a later time, making them foggy on Monday morning. This resetting pushes back the brain's cue to be awake on Monday morning for school. It has been described as teens giving themselves jetlag over the weekend without getting on a plane. Weekend "catch up" sleep makes teens less attentive on Monday morning.

Source: Associated Professional Sleep Societies, 21sr Annual Meeting, June 2007.