CNN Health: A therapist describes how she helps her clients tap into emotional wellness techniques to get the best rest possible.

Poor sleep also disrupts engagement in activities that support emotional wellness. In fact, teens with irregular sleep patterns over the course of the week can experience “social jet lag” starting Monday morning, putting them behind in terms of both performance and connection with others. This can drive not only a decrease in performance academically, but tardiness, missed days, and a lack of readiness to learn.

Perhaps the most potent method for improving sleep is adding exercise into your day. A survey by the National Sleep Foundation reported that people who exercise vigorously on a regular basis were almost twice as likely to report high-quality, regular sleep. And sleep comes more easily to people who build exercise into their daily routines.

Think of sleep as a process that starts at least one hour before you actually go to bed.

Create an atmosphere of winding down in your home. Watch a light episode of a favorite family show together. Protect some time to read. Dim the lights, and set the late evening apart from the remainder of the day.

These are powerful interventions that will help set a tone that suggests sleep and rest.

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