Does your teenager fall asleep over homework? Does he or she nod off during class or drive while drowsy? Almost 70 percent of high school students are not getting the recommended hours of sleep on school nights, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers found insufficient sleep (less than eight hours on an average school night) to be associated with a number of unhealthy activities, such as:

• Drinking soda or other caffeinated beverages one or more times per day
• Not participating in enough physical activity
• Using computers three or more hours each day
• Being in a physical fight one or more times
• Cigarette use
• Alcohol use
• Marijuana use
• Current sexual activity
• Feeling sad or hopeless
• Seriously considering attempting suicide

Adolescents who don’t get the recommended nine hours of sleep each night are also more likely to feel depressed, get poorer grades in school and more likely to be impaired while driving.

The following tips are recommended by the National Sleep Foundation:

• Go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning.
• Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment that is neither too hot nor too cold.
• Make sure your bed is comfortable and use it only for sleeping -- not for other activities such as reading, watching TV or listening to music.
• Remove all TVs, computers and other gadgets from the bedroom.
• Avoid large meals a few hours before bedtime.

If your teen’s sleep problems persist, seek the assistance of a physician or other health professional. Encourage your teen to keep a diary of sleep habits for about ten days prior to the visit.