9-Jun-09 1:00 PM CST

Katie Couric's Notebook: Teen Bedtimes

This article was originally posted on cbsnews.com. To see the original story, with video, follow this link http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/09/couricandco/entry5075885.shtml

Posted by Katie Couric |

If you're a parent who feels like your teen has morphed into Rip Van Winkle or Sleeping Beauty - always sawing wood - listen up. All that sleep time could be good for them.

A new study from Columbia University and the National Institutes of Health says that kids who get more sleep are less likely to suffer from depression.

As tough as it may be to convince them to step away from their Facebook pages and iPods late at night, it's well worth the effort. Teens whose parents allow them to stay up past midnight are 42 percent more likely to feel depressed and 30 percent more likely to have suicidal thoughts.

A reasonable bedtime isn't just for tots and tweens, it's good for the older kids, as well. Even though with the amount of homework they're getting these days, it may be like dreaming the impossible dream.

So, Mr. Van Winkle and Miss Beauty, lights out. You need your rest - and that's no fairy tale.

That's a page from my notebook.

For additional information on this release, please contact:

Kathleen Wakefield

Phone: (757) 496-9775

Email:

Source: cbsnews.com

Website: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/09/couricandco/entry5075885.shtml