Does your teenager have trouble getting up in the morning? Do you feel that you're living with a groggy-eyed zombie? Chances are you've got a sleep-deprived kid on your hands

Here's help on how to cope - and how to get teens the snooze time they desperately need:

How much is enough? Learn how much sleep your children need to function at their best. They should wake up feeling refreshed, not tired. Most adolescents need between eight and a half hours and nine hours 15 minutes of sleep each night.

Make it routine Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule and maintain this routine during weekends and holidays. If your teens must stray from their schedule, they should never do so for two or more consecutive nights. Teach them to avoid delaying bedtime by more than one hour. Awaken them the next day within two hours of their regular routine.

Light up Get your child into bright light as soon as possible in the morning, but avoid it in the evening. The light helps tell the brain when it should wake up and when it should prepare to sleep.

Get into the rhythm Remember that your teen's sleep patterns are biologically - as well as behaviourally - driven. Help your children to understand their circadian rhythms and encourage them to maximise their schedule throughout the day based on their internal clocks. For example, to compensate for slump (sleepy) times, have your teens participate in stimulating activities or classes that are interactive. Instruct them to avoid potentially unsafe activities (including driving) late in the day.

Get a clue Learn to recognise the signs of sleep deprivation and sleepiness. If your son or daughter needs several alarms to get up in the morning, or if they are falling asleep during the day, they are probably not getting enough sleep at night. Ask their teachers how alert they appear during the day at school. And keep in mind that many signs of sleepiness, like difficulty focusing or remembering, can look like signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Give them a clue, too Help your teens understand the importance of sleep and how poor or insufficient sleep can affect them. Without proper sleep, they may be more irritable or depressed and have trouble getting along with others. Their schoolwork may suffer.

Take a nap There's nothing wrong with a nap - in the right place and at the right time. Teens need to keep their naps brief (less than one hour) and before late afternoon.

Watch what they eat/drink Encourage your teens to stay away from coffee, caffeinated drinks and nicotine in the afternoon - these are all stimulants. Also avoid alcohol, which disrupts sleep.

Relax before bedtime Have your kids avoid heavy reading, studying and computer games within one hour of going to bed. Don't let them fall asleep with the television on. Flickering light and stimulating content can inhibit restful sleep.

Get help If you think your teenager is not sleeping adequately at night, consult your doctor or a sleep specialist. Excessive sleepiness during the day and other sleep problems can indicate an underlying, biological sleep disorder, such as narcolepsy, sleep apnoea and periodic limb movement disorder, or a circadian rhythm disorder such as delayed sleep phase syndrome. In most cases, symptoms of sleep disorders can be effectively treated.