Why is sleep important for teens?
Sleep is important for teenagers. It helps them:
- stay physically healthy
- regulate their appetite and stay at a healthy weight
- maintain energy levels
- have good mental health, build resilience and reduce stress
- learn, concentrate and remember things well
- maintain healthy social relationships.
How much sleep do teenagers need?
Most teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Some need as little as 7 hours or as much as 11 hours.
How to help teenagers get enough sleep
Good sleep habits can help your child get enough sleep, especially as they get towards the later teenage years. These habits can also help your child avoid or sort out any sleep problems that come up.
Here are sleep habits you could encourage your child to try. Your child might need to try several things to work out what helps them the most.
Aim for regular waking, sleeping and napping routines
- Keep wake-up times on school days and weekends to within 1-2 hours of each other. This helps to keep the body clock regular and is good for physical and mental health.
- Get out of bed when they wake up in the morning, rather than staying in bed.
- Spend the hour before lights out avoiding screens and doing relaxing activities like reading, listening to quiet music or something calming, or having a warm shower.
- Keep daytime naps to no more than 20 minutes, and make sure the nap is in the early afternoon.
Create a calm and relaxing sleep environment
- Avoid the use of electronic devices in the hour before going to sleep.
- Put electronic devices in family rooms overnight.
- Make sure their sleep space is quiet, dimly lit and not too hot.
Eat healthy food at the right time
- Have a satisfying evening meal at a reasonable time. Feeling hungry or too full before bed can make it harder to get to sleep.
- Have a healthy breakfast to kick-start the body clock.
- Have regular meals throughout the day. This helps to keep the body clock regular, so that the body feels ready for sleep at night.
- Avoid caffeine – in energy drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate and cola – especially in the late afternoon and evening.
Exercise – outside if possible
- Do physical activity during the day, but avoid intense exercise in the hour before bed.
- Get plenty of natural light during the day, especially in the morning. This helps the body suppress melatonin in the morning and produce it in the evening, when it’s time to sleep.
Deal with worries, fears and anxiety
- Talk about worries with you or another trusted person during the day.
- Write down anxious or sad thoughts well before bedtime. For each thought, add a possible solution.
- Try mindfulness exercises, breathing exercises or relaxation exercises to calm an anxious or active mind before sleep.
You can be a healthy sleep role model for your child – for example, by winding down before bed, reducing screen use before bed, relaxing and managing stress, and reducing your use of caffeine before bedtime.
Signs of teenage sleep problems
Signs that your child has sleep problems might include difficulties with:
- getting to sleep
- staying asleep
- getting out of bed in the morning.
If your child has sleep problems, they might also:
- feel tired during the day
- fall asleep in class
- have trouble remembering things or concentrating.
Note that a change in your child’s sleep behaviour – like going to bed later than you’d like – isn’t necessarily a sleep problem.
Your child might be able to solve some sleep problems by trying the good sleep habits above. But if persistent problems with sleep are affecting your child’s wellbeing, schoolwork, relationships or mental health, it might be time to see a GP, school counsellor, psychologist or childhood sleep specialist.
How to help teenagers with sleep problems
If your child has sleep problems, they need to be involved in solving them.
Steps to help with teen sleep problems
- Ask your child what makes it hard for them to get to sleep or what keeps them awake.
- Encourage your child to choose a healthy sleep habit that they think will help. For example, they could do physical activity each afternoon.
- Praise your child when you notice they’re trying to make changes to sleep patterns or trying out habits you’ve discussed.
After-school activities like sport, music or part-time work can cut into your child’s sleep time or make it harder for them to unwind before bed. If this sounds like your child, you might need to talk about it. For example, your child might be able to reschedule some activities so they don’t interfere with sleep.
Teenage sleep FAQs
How much should my teen be sleeping?
In the teen years, your child needs 8-10 hours of sleep a night for good health and development in adolescence.
How does lack of sleep affect teens?
Lack of sleep can make it harder for your child to behave in positive ways, regulate emotions, pay attention, do well at school, and get along with others. Being tired all the time can even contribute to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
Why is my teen sleeping more than they used to?
At 12-18 years, your child might seem to need more sleep because adolescence is a time of significant growth and development. Your child’s body, brain and emotions are all developing during this time, and they need sleep to support this.
Why is my teen going to sleep later than they used to?
It’s very common for children in the early teen years to want to go to bed later at night and get up later in the morning. This is because they start to secrete melatonin later at night than they did in earlier childhood, which affects their circadian rhythms. Also, as their brains mature during puberty, children can stay awake for longer.
How do I get my teen to sleep earlier?
- Encourage your child to go to bed and get up around the same time every day, even on the weekend. This can help your child’s internal body clock get into a regular rhythm.
- Discourage late-night eating, and encourage your child to have a healthy breakfast.
- Encourage your child to have an hour of winding down before lights out. Encourage quiet activities like reading, drawing, writing, playing card games or doing puzzles.
- Avoid digital technology use in the hour before going to sleep. This includes mobile phones, computer screens and TV.
Why does my teen get up so late on the weekend?
Later bedtimes combined with early wake-ups for school mean that many teenagers don’t get enough sleep during the week. This usually causes teenagers to sleep in on weekends.
Young people should avoid alcohol and illegal drug use completely. These substances have a bad effect on sleep, mental health and wellbeing. They can also harm young people’s developing brains.