A 17-year-old patient is worried about sleep and feels overwhelmed by their schedule. What recommendation would the provider make first to promote 8 hours of sleep?

Promoting healthy sleep habits is essential, especially for adolescents who often face various pressures. Watching videos before bed can lead to distractions and increased cognitive stimulation, which can impede the ability to fall asleep. The blue light emitted from screens has also been shown to interfere with the body's natural circadian rhythms, making it more difficult to achieve restful sleep. By recommending the avoidance of video watching right before bedtime, the provider is encouraging the patient to create a more conducive sleep environment, facilitating relaxation and improving overall sleep quality.

While other strategies may also be beneficial, the immediate recommendation to avoid screens is particularly relevant to establishing good sleep hygiene. Practicing mindfulness, reducing extracurricular activities, or giving up a part-time job can help address the patient's overall stress levels but may not directly contribute to better sleep quality in the short term. Prioritizing sleep hygiene through the limitation of screen time before bed can serve as a foundational step towards improving the patient's overall well-being.