How can we help teenagers to sleep better?

Most teenagers have a higher sleep need than adults. The same factors that influence sleep quality in adults will also apply to teens, but because of their body clocks and vulnerability to short sleep, teenagers have even more to gain from healthy sleep habits. 

1. Set a bedtime and stick to it: aim for sufficient and consistent time in bed

In order to protect at least 8 hours for sleep, teens need to be in bed for more than 8.5 hours. The part of our brain which is responsible for forward planning is not always well developed in teenagers. Sit down with your teen to help them plan their desired sleep/wake pattern, and how they will ensure that they get to bed on time. Work back from the latest possible time they can get up for school/college in order to find the right time for lights out.

The occasional deviation is OK, but the more often they stick to the same schedule, the easier it will become, and the more energy they will have during the day. Aim for no more than an hour’s lie-in at weekends, unless they are unusually short of sleep during the week. 

If more than 8.5 hours in bed feels unrealistic, talk to your teen about overcommitment and priorities.. Is there anything they are doing that they could cut back on? Sleep deserves to be a priority. 

2. Support TEEnAGE SLEEP BY MANAGING LIGHT EXPOSURE: BRIGHT in the morning, darkness at night

To help night owls to adjust their body clocks to early mornings, they need exposure to bright light in the mornings, and especially within the first hour after waking. 

The ideal is to get outside into daylight for at least 15 minutes. When it’s dark outside during winter mornings, a dawn simulation alarm clock (which gets gradually brighter before alarm time) can help night owls of all ages to wake up in the morning. Alternatively, sitting by a SAD lamp - a special bright lamp designed for Seasonal Affective Disorder - for 30 minutes each morning could also help to reset their body clocks.

Eating breakfast at the same time each morning is also a cue to the body clocks to wake up for the day, so try to eat something within the first 2 hours of waking up, and avoid large meals or very sugary snacks after 9pm. 

While light in the morning has a positive energising effect, bright light in the evening should be avoided for the same reason. At least an hour before the chosen bedtime, start to dim overhead lights and switch off screens. Keep screens (TVs, laptops, phones, ipads) outside the bedroom. If you do have to use a screen, use the night mode which reduces blue light. Use black out blinds to make the bedroom as dark as possible, or an eye mask. 

Even if you can’t get exposure to bright light first thing, aim to get outside as much as possible during daylight hours, since this reduces sensitivity to light at night.

3. Switch off stress: create a sense of calm before bedtime

Design a bedtime routine for the last 30-60 minutes before bed. Younger teens might need your help to stay organised, to avoid doing homework late at night. Ask them what they enjoy doing that calms them down, that they could look forward to each evening. Having a relaxing ritual can help to prepare the body for a deep sleep. For example, journalling, reading a book, crafts, listening to music, meditating or having a warm bath. 

We all sleep better in an environment that is calming, comfortable, dark, cool and quiet. We want to look forward to going to bed. Encourage your teen to keep the bedroom tidy (!), which could help them to relax at night. If they are struggling with sleep, they should only use their bed for sleeping - not working or watching TV. 

4. Model positive sleep behaviour, including digital downtime

Talking to your teen about good sleep hygiene is one thing, but making a commitment as a family to protect good sleep could be even more powerful. Are you protecting time for your own sleep? Are you moving your body on a regular basis? Are you doing something relaxing each night to wind down before bed? Are you leaving your phone outside of the bedroom overnight? Are you only drinking decaffeinated drinks after lunch? 

Discuss habits that the whole family could commit to, and support each other to achieve. Some families switch the wifi router off at 9pm every night to reduce temptation for late night digital scrolling. Studies have found that teens with a parent-led bedtime, and parental rules about switching off technology, tend to have earlier bedtimes and longer sleep (Pillion 2022). Experiment with apps which limit internet connectivity, such as Freedom.

5. Seek specialist help for sleep disorders

If your teen is following all the advice but you are concerned that they are still struggling with sleep, speak to a medical professional for advice.  The Sleep Charity also provides a free national helpline for sleep support: 03303 530 541. 

Common sleep disorders can occur at any age, such as:

• Insomnia: defined as a difficulty sleeping for at least 3 nights a week, for 3 months or more, which has a negative impact on daytime function. The recommended treatment is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, which can be delivered as in person therapy, groups, a digital programme or a self-help manual. 

• Teens who sleep well but at the wrong times might be suffering from Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, which is often treated with melatonin and bright light. 

• Sleep apnoea is a sleep related breathing disorder which leads to pauses in breathing during the night. Treatment options include regular exercises or a CPAP machine to help with breathing during the night. 

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Q&A

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• My son is 14 and has autism and is struggling to get to sleep. He can be awake until 1am and then struggles to wake for school the next day.

  
  

Children and teenagers with autism, and autistic traits, are more vulnerable to sleep problems. The type of sleep problems often differs with age; younger children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to show bedtime anxiety, awakenings during the night, and parasomnias (such as sleep walking, sleep talking, and nightmares). Older children are more likely to report insomnia symptoms such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Behavioural approaches such as the advice in this article are recommended as the first line approach. If you feel as though you’re following the advice and your son is still struggling with sleep, speak to your GP. It may be that a combination of behavioural therapy and prescription sleep aids, such as melatonin, may be helpful. 

• My 8 year old just can't switch off, it takes ages to get to sleep and he's tired

The number one recommendation to help children sleep well is a structured bedtime

routine. This should be designed to slowly bring energy levels down - such as with quiet play, followed by a warm bath and brushing teeth, and then reading or listening to calming music in bed. You might already be doing all this! Most 8 year-olds will need 8-10 hours of sleep each night. It’s always harder to switch off when you’re over tired, so perhaps experiment with moving the bedtime routine earlier? 

Alternatively, it might be that your son is already exhibiting more teenage tendencies to have a later body clock (chronotype). You’ll know if this is the case if he’s also struggling to wake up without an alarm clock for school. 

Another possibility is that your son is struggling with worries or anxieties, which might be about sleep, or school, or something else going on. It’s a good idea to ask about worries during the day time, rather than last thing at night. See if there are any practical steps you can take to address his concerns. It might be that he would benefit from more time to practice relaxation before bed, either with some mindful breathing exercises, or calming music and perhaps some gentle massage. Some children find a weighted blanket can be reassuring before bedtime. 

• How do we get teens up in the morning?

  
  

Teens’ body clocks are delayed relative to most adults, so they often struggle to wake up for school. The challenge is even greater if they are sleep deprived. The key is consistency - aim for the same wake up time, within an hour, 7 days a week. Switch on bright lights as soon as it is time to wake up, and ideally, encourage them to get outside into natural daylight within an hour of waking. Eating breakfast within the first two hours of waking also sends an alerting signal to the body clock. At least one hour before bedtime, dim the lights, and banish screens from the bedroom.