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Daytime habits to improve teenage sleep

Physical activity and natural light during the day can help your child’s body produce melatonin at the right time each night.

Your child should avoid caffeine after 3 pm. Caffeine keeps you awake. Caffeine is in chocolate, cola, tea, coffee and energy drinks.

Your child should keep naps to 20 minutes, and avoid naps close to bedtime. Sleeping during the day can make it harder to get to sleep at night.

Bedtime habits to help teenagers sleep better at night

Encourage your child to wind down before bed. Your child could try reading, quiet music or a warm bath.

Encourage your child to go to bed at the same time every night.

Make sure your child falls asleep in bed each night, rather than in a family area.

Good habits to help teenagers wake up

Keep computers, TVs and mobile phones out of bedrooms. Using devices instead of sleeping makes your child tired in the morning.

Keep wake-up times on school days and weekends to within two hours of each other. This helps keep your child’s body clock regular.

Let the sunshine in! Sunshine helps switch off melatonin, so your child feels ready to wake up.

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Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

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