DR. WALLACE: My parents and I disagree on how much sleep I need. I'm 15 and have an active life with school (even though it's over the internet these days), studying and playing basketball every day in the front driveway. I go to bed every night around midnight and I wake up between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m., and that seems to work out fine for me.

My parents say I should go to bed at 10:00 p.m. and wake up at 7:00 a.m. to be sure that I get enough sleep so that I will keep growing taller. I don't see much of a difference. How many hours am I expected to sleep per night at my age? And do most kids sleep nine hours a night these days? I really don't think so! — Feel Rested Enough, via email

FEEL RESTED ENOUGH: It is essential that teens get enough sleep; most studies I've read on this topic over the years suggest between eight and nine hours per night.

Recognize that any amount of sleep under this can never be recovered, and similarly, any amount over this is basically wasted. So, trying to average it out by sleeping just a few hours per night during the week and then "binge-sleeping" on the weekend just does not work to keep a body healthy. It cannot be stored up and used at a later time!

Now, you may feel that you can function well enough on a bit less sleep than the recommended amount, but I'd suggest that you add 20 more minutes of sleep every week until you reach at least 7 1/2 hours per night. You might find that you actually feel much better and more energetic during the day when you do.

VIRTUAL CALMING ROOMS

DR. WALLACE: Some of my friends and I recently joined a "virtual calming room." I wanted to share with your readers some of the free online activities that my high school district offers to students via these "rooms."

We can enjoy guided meditation, ranging from one to 20 minutes. The program is awesome, as it guides you in resting your mind. A few of my friends and I tried it, and I must report that we enjoyed it very much.

There is also a program that helps students create a detailed journal. The online journaling program provides interesting topics that students can reflect on, and it even promotes good sources of relaxation.

The activities suggested range from sedentary ones to ones that get you moving. Puzzles and word searches can be quite fun, especially when you compete with your friends. Coloring uses digital tools to add color and effects to digital art. Sounds and music focus on specific sounds like thunder or rain or piano music. Virtual relaxation shows seem just like the ocean and beautiful sunsets. Live animal cams show animals and their locations, such as zebras at a major public zoo. Yoga and exercise programs demonstrate many different activities and techniques that we can follow.

I know a lot of students around our country are bored out of their minds since they have been trapped learning at home during this awful pandemic, so I wanted to point this resource out. — Fan of Calming Rooms, via email

FAN OF CALMING ROOMS: Thank you for this most interesting information, and for taking the time to point it out to our readers. I trust many students around America might benefit from this. For those interested, please check with your local school district or government office to see what programs might be available.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: JayMantri at Pixabay