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Daytime habits to improve pre-teen and teenage sleep

Physical activity and natural daylight 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. Long naps close to bedtime can make it harder to get to sleep at night.

Bedtime habits to help pre-teens and teenagers sleep better at night

Encourage your child to wind down before bed. Your child could try reading, quiet music or a warm bath. Switch off devices an hour before sleep.

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 pre-teens and teenagers wake up

Keep computers, TVs and mobile phones out of bedrooms, or have rules about turning them off by a certain time. Using devices instead of sleeping makes your child tired in the morning.

Keep wake-up times on school days and weekends to within 2 hours of each other. This helps to keep your child’s body clock regular.

Let the sunshine in! Sunshine helps switch off melatonin, so your child feels alert and 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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