Articles on the Web

Teens – To Nap or Not to Nap

By Emily Puro

Naps can be helpful for sleep deprived teens as long as they don’t sleep long enough to delay bedtime. Instead, encourage power naps. “Research shows a 20 or 30 minute nap can be very restorative,” says Dr. Kyle Johnson, co-director of the OHSU Sleep Disorders Program at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Make sure they set their alarm for 30 minutes and get up when the alarm sounds. If they can’t do it, naps should be avoided.