The Sleep-Deprived Teen - by Lisa L Lewis (Paperback)

About the Book

Teenagers are tired, strapped for time, and often asked to wake far earlier than they should due to school start times. In The Sleep-Deprived Teen, journalist Lisa L. Lewis shares the science of why teenage sleep matters, providing parents with a roadmap to improve their teens' sleep--and their own.

Book Synopsis

Teenagers are tired, strapped for time, and often asked to wake far earlier than they should due to school start times. In The Sleep-Deprived Teen, journalist Lisa L. Lewis shares the science of why teenage sleep matters, providing parents with a roadmap to improve their teens' sleep-and their own.

Review Quotes

"In The Sleep Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, and How Parents and Schools Can Help Them Thrive, the journalist Lisa L. Lewis discusses the science behind this phenomenon - why adolescents actually need almost as much sleep as they did when they were younger, and why the fact that about 70 percent of them in this country don't get enough puts them at risk for everything from poor performance in schools to suicide. Even a small increase in sleep time can reap benefits. Lewis lobbied for, and actually won, a later high school start time in California; a chunk of the book is devoted to showing you how to be a sleep activist in your own community."
--The New York Times

"Journalist Lewis sounds the alarm that teens aren't getting enough sleep in this impassioned survey. Due in large part to early school start times, teens are sleep deprived, she writes, and it's taking a toll on their health. Lewis explains how sleep works and details the shifts that happen during puberty and cause teens to need additional morning sleep to get sufficient rest. She details the history of school schedules, attributing earlier start times to school consolidation, busing issues, and budget cuts, and offers data showing dramatic improvements in attendance and mental health in Minnesota schools when schools started later. Parents stuck with an early bell, Lewis writes, can be 'strategic' with kids 'about naps and caffeine' and set limits for tech use at night, but the best way to deal with the problem, she argues, is to push schools to start later. To that end, she offers detailed and practical guidance, including tips for building community involvement, and responses to common objections by school districts ('Sports are often not nearly as difficult to rearrange as people think they might be, ' for example). This convincing plea is well worth a look for parents and educators alike."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Lisa Lewis, a California-based journalist and public health expert, warns that a majority of teenagers in America are not getting the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep every night--but believes the issue can be fixed."
--Daily Mail

"Lewis, a mother of two, helped spark the first law in the nation requiring healthy school start times for adolescents."
--CNN

"For more on the benefits and specific sleep routine recommendations geared toward teens, I highly recommend Lewis' book!"
--Parents

"Lisa L. Lewis...is a writer and journalist whose work was actually instrumental in bringing about this new law in the state."
--BBC

"In this timely book, Lisa L. Lewis underscores why sleep is so vital for adolescent well-being and resilience and offers detailed, actionable tools for bringing about change. Grounded in science and filled with insights and inspiration, The Sleep-Deprived Teen is a call to action for parents everywhere to help their teens thrive."

--Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global

"In her compelling and deeply researched book, Lisa L. Lewis shows why sleep matters to the physical, emotional, and social well-being of teenagers. She deftly reviews the science, then provides practical advice for putting those scientific insights into action. For parents and educators everywhere, this book is an urgent and timely read."

--Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, The Power of Regret, and To Sell Is Human

"Lisa L. Lewis's book should serve as a wake-up call to parents, lawmakers, school a