With the school year now in full swing, getting a good night’s rest is especially important for teenagers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 70 percent of teens don’t get the sleep they actually need. Viewers of ABC Eyewitness News in Chicago got timely advice from The Sleep Ambassador® Nancy Rothstein. She shared tips for teens and parents, which included turning off phones, changing schedules and techniques for improving nasal breathing. We were delighted to learn that The Sleep Ambassador uses Mute and suggested that it may help teens and parents as well.
Host Cheryl Burton lamented that her teens are up all night and want to sleep until noon. “[That is] partly because their biological clock is a little bit different from ours,” explained Rothstein. “Having teens get up at 5 or 6 in the morning is like an adult getting up at 3 a.m.”
Rothstein was ready with top tips for parents, beginning with teens’ use of technology. “I’ve talked to teens, you just can’t take their phone away; it’s like an appendage,” she said. Instead, she suggested having a family pact, where everyone sets a tech curfew. Teens may need some convincing before they agree to turn off their phones a few hours before bedtime. Rothstein explained that a tech curfew is important because it removes the stimulation. “And, [devices are] impeding their melatonin, the sleep hormone, from coming out and doing its work during the night.”
Rothstein’s second tip surprised Burton. “A really, really important thing parents can do is observe their child’s breathing. Peek in during the night and look at them during the the day. Are they breathing through their nose? Why? We were made to breathe through our nose. Our mouths are for talking and for eating. You want to just start to really observe, are they congested? Do they have some kind of nasal obstruction? Do they need to see an [Ear, Nose and Throat specialist]? Do you need to talk to their pediatrician? We should all be breathing in and out through our nose.”
Rothstein suggested that teens use Mute so they can experience what it feels like to breathe better. “I sleep with it almost every night. It opens the nasal airway so you feel and get more [air], because you need that oxygen for your cells and your brain.”
She also reassured audiences that Mute is comfortable. “It’s so smartly designed. And it gives the teen and yourself an opportunity to see what it’s like to breathe properly. And it’s nasal breathing, mouth is closed. ”
Mute is made from ultra-soft medical grade polymers to ensure comfort throughout the night. Be sure to watch our video on how to use Mute, and then use our store locator to buy Mute, or purchase on Amazon.
