Michael Fleming, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians(AAFP) answers your health questions． I have such a terrible time falling asleep every night that I'm always tired and it's affecting my schoolwork．What should I do? －Amelia One in every five young people have sleep problems, so you're not alone．Getting enough sleep has become as important as eating vegetables and exercising regularly．It's very important for your body． Most young people get only seven hours of sleep each night, when they actually need nine hours．And making up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping on weekends doesn't really work．In fact, sleeping late on weekends may actually do you more harm than good, if you have sleep problems．What happens if you don't get enough sleep? If your sleep problem continues for a few nights, you could suffer serious problems．Lack of sleep can affect learning and memory．Worse, if your sleep difficulties last a long time, that could lead to anxiety or depression(抑郁)．Therefore, you've got to have some healthy sleep habits．Below are some suggestions： ●GO TO BED AT THE SAME TIME including weekends, if possible． ●WAKE UP AROUND THE SAME TIME EVERY MORNING．When you get up late just one morning during the week, it may disturb your body clock．This will make it hard for you to sleep that night． ●DO SOMETHING RELAXING before going to bed． ●EXERCISE DURING THE DAY．Don't exercise right before going to bed． ●AVOID DRINKING ALCOHOL．Alcohol makes you excited．This prevents you from falling asleep or wakes you up during the night． ●DON'T SMOKE．Smoking is always bad for the body．Smoking before bedtime keeps you awake． If trying these tips over a couple of weeks does not help you, speak to your doctor．Do not take any sleeping pills without asking your doctor first．Many have strong side effects． | 
