Those of us who are of a "certain age" can remember a time when we patiently wrote a letter and waited at least a week for an answer, even if we considered the matter urgent. What a contrast with the life we live now, where information careens through our heads, way too much of it at one time, and we find our attention drawn in several directions simultaneously. Can anyone name a time in human history when so much has happened to a culture in such a short time (other than the Black Plague, of course.)

Counseling with families when an educational change is needed has also brought new clients. There is a population of students who used to be cared for within families and taken to the homes of adult friends and relatives because of a lack of peer social life. Video games have replaced Aunt Mary, and a new kind of social isolation masquerading as social interaction has replaced an outing with Papa. This student is brought in because he or she is no longer going to school on Wednesdays, or indeed not doing work at all, choosing instead to check in with comrades in a war game, or building a website with shockingly lush photos of a lonely girl.

One of the first concerns from a parent frequently begins with, "He is not sleeping enough, and I can't get him up in the morning for school." Sleep research on teens has been available for several years, and some wise schools have pushed back their morning start to enable those final sleep hours to do their restorative and growth work on the teenage brain. On the other hand, what if the student is staying up way too late for any kind of healthy lifestyle? Enter the researchers at the Lighting Innovations Institute at John Carroll University to help with this dilemma. The solution is so simple that one may be surprised that academic research was needed at all. Think about Benjamin Franklin's "early to bed…" adage. Humankind evolved in a world of biochronicity that involved daylight and dark. And what color dominates daylight? BLUE! The blue sky is all around us-keeps us nicely awake, and stimulates our thinking. And what color is often dominant in electronic backgrounds, TVs, computer screens? BLUE! The researchers at John Carroll proved that blue light prevents the timely arrival of melatonin, and doesn't that make all kinds of sense? When we're up and outside under the blue sky, as our ancestors were, we are not supposed to be sleeping!

The solution is shockingly simple: Blue blocker glasses. Putting on glasses that block blue light in the evening will enable to body to adjust its circadian rhythms to a more natural timeline. It is even suggested that there will be an improvement in ADHD symptoms and sleep disorders. Blue blockers can be found in a wide price range, starting at Wal-Mart and ending up with your fancier kiosks in the mall. Kudos to John Carroll for telling us something that we could have figured out ourselves if we'd just made a few logical connections.

About The Author: Jeanette B Spires is an Independent Educational Consultant, and founder of Jeanette B Spires & Associates located in Lake Forest, IL. For more information, contact her at 847-22-34-7211 or Jebspi@aol.com, or visit her website at http://jeanettespires.com/.