Parents of Student Athletes

With all the commitments a student athlete has, (school, homework, practice, family, and friends and maybe even work) some might find it hard to fit sleep into the equation. But without proper sleep, an athlete won’t be giving his or her best in any of their activities.

It is a vicious cycle- a student stays up late studying for a test causing them not to get the proper sleep they need. They will then be tired during school and once practice rolls around they will be too tired to perform at their best. They then just want to go home and sleep which could make them fall behind in their homework. So not only are they lacking sleep, but they are now stressed and this is just not a healthy combination for your growing teenager.

Adequate sleep for student athletes is key in preventing negative outcomes.  It’s important because it is the time when actual physical growth occurs and tissues recover from daily activity. Sleep-deprivation leads to fatigue, which can cause a decrease in both academic and athletic performances.

Also, don't forget that lack of sleep can lead to other health issues such as depression especially when you are adding stress into the mix. When students are worried about test scores, practice, and their social life, that anxiety can lead to poor sleep, which can lead to depression.

So what can your child do to improve their performance, both academically and athletically? Here are a few tips to prioritize sleep and help your athletic and academic performance.

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Wake up at the same time on the weekends as you do weekdays.
• Eat a large meal at night, about three hours before bedtime.
• Avoid caffeine which can lead to less restful sleep.
• Develop healthy ways to manage stress.
• Exercise should take place earlier in the day, no later than four hours before bedtime.
• Nap if feeling drowsy, but for no longer than 30 minutes.

As parents of a student athlete, it is your job to make sure your child will begin following these steps in order to reduce their sleepless nights and to increase academic and athletic performance.

What Can Parents Do?

Most teens need about 8½ to more than 9 hours of sleep each night. Getting the right amount of sleep is essential for anyone who wants to do well on a test or play sports without stumbling. Unfortunately, though, many teens don't get enough sleep. Reasons for this may include having work, practice, homework, studying, and using electronics all in the same night. Another problem is that teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week. They typically stay up late and sleep in late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep. You may be surprised, but there actually are many ways parents can help in order for their child to get a good night's sleep.

What can parents do?

• Monitor their electronic use.
  -Too much can really be affecting them negatively.
•  Teach them time management.
  -With this they will be able to get everything done in a reasonable time therefore leaving time to sleep.
• Teach your child to work ahead.
  -Have them start study for a test a few days in advance that way they are not cramming late the night before.
• Take away caffeine.
  -Caffeine close to bedtime will only make them stay up longer.
• Wake them up on the weekends.
  -They may not be happy at first but they will thank you later. If they sleep until the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday, if will keep getting harder and harder for them to get any sleep during the week.

Our Purpose

Hello Parents,

Thank you for visiting our blog. Sleep is very important for your growing teenager and we have been noticing that our students have not been getting enough sleep at night. Their academic performance is dropping and some are even unable to stay awake in class. The faculty and staff decided that the best way to approach this issue is with you, the parents. With our blog posts we will be able to give you information, ideas, links to articles and much more in order to assure your child is getting all the sleep they need. With these blogs you are able to have full discussions with faculty and other parents via comments. We want to hear your ideas, what you like about this and what you don't like about it. By commenting on our posts you put your child into a drawing to win a 2-pack Snuggle Home Memory Foam and Fiber Pillow. We believe this blog will be an affective way in getting out the necessary information and we hope you enjoy!

Best,
HST 2700 Faculty and Staff