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Talk to Your Teens About Drowsy Driving

Medical experts at the Capital Health Center for Sleep Medicine urge parents to talk with their teen drivers about the importance of sleep and safe driving.

Dr. Marcella Frank“Drowsiness is similar to alcohol in how it compromises your ability to drive and make decisions, yet many parents of teen drivers seem to focus more on the danger of drunk driving than drowsy driving,” said DR. MARCELLA FRANK, sleep medicine specialist and medical director of the Capital Health Center for Sleep Medicine.

Dr. Swetha Voddi“When discussing drunk driving with your teen, parents should also talk about the importance of getting nine hours of sleep every night and to pull over or avoid driving if they haven’t gotten enough sleep,” said DR. SWETHA VODDI, sleep medicine specialist at the Capital Health Center for Sleep Medicine.

Experts at Capital Health suggest a number of different strategies to help your teen get into a healthy sleep rhythm, including:

  • Select a bedtime ritual, such as a warm bath, listening to calm music or reading a book, and follow the same routine, at the same time, each night.
  • Create a relaxing bedroom by removing school materials, computers and televisions and keeping it quiet, dark and cool.
  • Set restrictions on screen time (TV, video games, computer, etc.) before bedtime.
  • Reduce or eliminate caffeine intake.
  • Exercise regularly but not close to bedtime.

If your teen continues to have sleep-related problems, call our Center for Sleep Medicine at 609-584-5150 or visit sleepatcapitalhealth.com.