To help your child become an autonomous and resilient learner:
Create optimal conditions for quality sleep.
Teenagers need eight to ten hours of quality sleep every night to maintain a healthy body and mind. Here are some ways in which you can create optimal sleeping conditions for your child – and yourself!
- Create a sleep-friendly bedroom for him (cool, quiet and dark).
- Establish a consistent bed time and a calming bedtime routine for him.
- Turn off any screens (tablet, smartphone, etc.) at least 60 minutes before bedtime.
- Remove screens from his bedroom during the night.
- Ensure that he does at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
- Limit his caffeine intake (coffee, tea and soft drinks).
- Be sure he goes to bed with neither a full nor an empty stomach.
- Talk through any problems he may be having before he goes to bed.
- Discourage him from having long weekend sleep-ins (he’ll feel sleepy on Monday morning!).
If your child has difficulty falling asleep, he might want to try:
- Writing a “to-do” list for the next day, if he has lots on his mind;
- Taking a warm bath or shower;
- Drinking a mug of warm milk;
- Doing some relaxation yoga;
- Listening to a guided sleep meditation (there are many free ones on the Internet).