A new school year is on the horizon. What happens when students skip breakfast, scrounge around for lunch, hunker down on mac ‘n’ cheese or cereal for dinner — and stay high on caffeine all day? It may surprise you, but this is the scenario for many teenagers.

And it gets worse ... the results of a recent survey, done by the National Sleep Foundation, found that only 20 percent of teens got the recommended 8 – 9 hours of sleep per night. More than 25 percent of the teens surveyed reported falling asleep in class, and more than 50 percent reported driving while drowsy. Certainly fatigue and poor diet impact academic performance and not in a good way.

On the flip side, studies show that 80 percent of teens who get an optimal amount of sleep report consistent “A”s and “B”s on report cards. What would be the result of adequate, sound sleep and an optimal diet? Read our Health Tip for several quick and easy essentials to pass on to your sleepy-headed adolescents to get them ready for the new school year.