Yawn! Waking up seems like torture to many teens. Hitting the snooze button a million times before finally getting out of bed is a ritual that young adults seem to own. Waking up at the crack of dawn is a struggle that teens have to deal with on a daily basis.

“’Just one more hour, just one more hour,’ that’s what I say every time I hear my alarm go off,” says Ashley Chabolla.

Most teens would rather stay in their cozy beds until noon than get up and start the day. So instead of being wide awake at school and ready to go, people see many heads rested on desks with students’ eyes closed, catching a few more zzz’s.

Even though you’re not supposed to sleep in class, that doesn’t seem to stop the sleepy heads that come to school with one eye still shut.

Studies show that 20 percent of students fall asleep in school. Most of the time, teens say they are not alert until after three in the afternoon. Even when teens try to fall asleep early (around 9 p.m.) they can’t fall asleep until after 11 p.m.

Recent studies show that teens work better and are more aware of what’s going on around them later in the day. Here’s an example of “Your Body Clock,” which you can find on www.google.com.

From midnight to 8 a.m., our bodies are programmed to sleep. Then from 8 a.m. to noon, our mental functions, such as memory, are the sharpest. This time is best for studying or concentrating on class work.

From two in the afternoon to about 6 p.m., the body temperature reaches its high point, and your sense of smell is at its best. Around this time, people are most active.

Then from early evening to midnight, your stomach acid digests dinner and you begin the process of rest and relaxation.

Teens need increasing amounts of sleep as they go through puberty. Adults usually need eight hours of beauty sleep, but teens need more than nine hours a night to avoid behaviors associated with sleep deprivation.

Just in case you aren’t familiar with sleep deprivation, it’s associated with information processing and memory deficit. It increases irritability, anxiety, and depression. It also decreases creativity and ability to handle complex tasks.

Try not to drink a lot of caffeine during the afternoon and try to get exercise — just a few tips to help with teens’ rough sleeping schedules.

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