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Secrets to Sleeping Well Your teen likes to stay up late but has to get up early for school. Sleep is critical at this age. You can improve your teen's sleep habits using these tips: Cut caeine. After 4 p.m. caeine can disrupt the sleep cycle and cause teens to feel even more tired the next day. Shut down screens. Ban the use of computers or smartphones in the hour before bedtime. Stick to a schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is crucial, even on the weekends. Say no to naps. Sleeping too much during the day can make it hard to fall asleep at night. No late meals. Try not to eat within a few hours of bedtime. If your teen has serious sleep problems, his or her pediatrician can help. Need a pediatrician? Visit chistjoseph.org and use our Physician Finder. chistjoseph.org /// CHI ST. JOSEPH HEALTH 7 Family Fitness Why not combine getting t and spending time together as a family? Ensuring you get enough physical activity is as important as setting a good example for your children. Spend time together as a family with these exercises that everyone from preschoolers to parents can do, and boost your overall health at the same time. Play a family game of tag in the backyard. Tag is fundamentally no more than a series of short sprints, something that gets your heart rate up and keeps you actively engaged—and it's something that can be modied for all age groups and tness levels. Jump rope—it's a terric cardiovascular exercise. It's fun and easy for both kids and adults. You can also make it into a game for more competitive family members, with criteria such as most jumps in a row or most creative jump. Work on your swimming strokes. If you have a pool or access to one locally, you can even set up relay races—the sillier the better. Create a scavenger hunt of things that can easily be found in your backyard or around the neighborhood. Split into teams, and time each team to see who can nd all of the items fastest. This one exercises the body and the mind! Play a dance- or activity-based video game. If the weather is bad, you can gather everyone in the family room and burn lots of calories without leaving the house. Exercise doesn't have to be a chore—it's all about having fun! Have you managed to sustain an injury during exercise? Check out our sports medicine services at chistjoseph.org. Jump! Swim! Run!