[Sabra]

Hi Everyone:

I have a teen that has so much energy that she goes and goes.

In fact I don't think she would sleep at all if we did tell her "Lights out !" She would get a second wind and keep going.

Does anyone else have a teen like that?

How do you get your teen to understand their need for sleep. We have tried logical consequences (she does get that when she finally gets sick.)

We have tried watching what she eats after 6 pm. Now that she is a teen that is a bit more tricky.

We tell her about coke and sugar and self control, etc.

What ideas have you found that work? How long has they worked? Did your teen start a new pattern?

Thanks so much.

[HappyMomAnna]

Does anybody have a teen that doesn't like to stay up late?

I think it is part of what they are made of...and I think it is a war if you try to hard to fight it....
My older children are 19 and 20 and one of them still likes to stay up way to late!
What I did when they were still at home is tell them, OK--you think you know what is best for you and I can deal with that. But here are the conditions to your decission to stay up half the night:

1) Your bedtime it MY time.... I will not have inturptions and you will not be in my space.
2) If you choose to stay up late--you may do so in your bed.
3) You may read or write letters...but you may not watch TV, play vedio games, or talk on the phone.
4) The first day you fail to wake up and get to school on time will be your last late night...
5) If this is not acceptable to you we can go back to lights out at 9pm...otherwise I could care less what time you fall asleep.

It actually worked effectively, and on of my two became a person who was standing in the doorway at 9:45 yelling, "good night, plese keep the noise down I am trying to sleep...."

The other, seemed to manage to function and at least was ready to catch the bus....he would try to sleep away the weekend, so we had to initiate a manditory latest time for that...otherwise he woke up in time to eat dinner... so we said 10:00 a.m. is the limit If you are not up by then do not ecpect to sleep in peace, I like to vaccume your room on Staurday mornings.... Ha Ha