Teen not getting enough sleep? 5 surprisingly easy ways to help.

Chances are, your teen isn’t getting nearly enough sleep. Studies show that for teens, getting fewer than 9 hours of sleep per night can increase risk for poor memory, crankiness, mood changes, depression, obesity, and headaches. 

Unfortunately, more than 90% of American teenagers don’t get the recommended amount of shut-eye per night. 

One reason teenage sleep problems are incredibly common is that during puberty, the body’s internal clock actually changes. Teenagers are wired to get sleepy about 2 hours later than younger kids or older adults. In a way, teenagers live in a different time zone.

Add on early school start times and late-night electronics use, and it’s no surprise that most teenagers are tired all the time. 

The good news is that there are several easy ways to help your teen build healthy sleep habits. 

Encourage them to shut off devices an hour before bed 

Studies have shown that electronic screens emit a glow called “blue light”, which tells the brain to produce less melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that plays a role in sleep. With less melatonin, your teen will feel less tired and want to stay up longer. 

To reduce the impact of blue light, encourage your teenagers to shut down their phones and computers an hour before bedtime. If they use these devices for homework, encourage them to finish screen-based work first, and then do off-screen work later in the night.  

For those nights where they have to stay on their screens until late, suggest that they turn on a Night Shift mode on their screens. This replaces some of the blue light on the screen with warmer orange tints. This may reduce the effects of blue light and result in better sleep. Try sending them a link to download f.lux, a free app that auto-adjusts screen light to remove blue light at night. 

Make sure their bed is only for sleeping

One of the best ways to improve sleep is to learn to associate your bed only with sleep. That way, as soon as you lay your head down, your brain knows that it’s time to doze. 

If we use our bed for things like watching TV, looking at our phones, doing homework, or even doing a lot of reading, that can make us lose the association between our beds and sleep. So when you lie your head down, your brain doesn’t know if it’s time to sleep or if it’s time to go on TikTok. 

Experts say that even doing homework in the same room as your bed can reduce the association between your bed and sleep. If you have the space, try recommending that your teen does homework in a completely different room. Try to create inviting and positive workspaces in other parts of the house. 

Make sure they eat appropriately

Eating large meals before bedtime can interfere with sleep. It can be helpful for your teen to eat more substantial breakfasts and lunches and lighter dinners. Also consider scheduling earlier dinners for your family.

Make sure to monitor and moderate caffeine intake throughout the day. If they’re craving a warm drink in the afternoon or evening, advise herbal tea instead of coffee.

Advise them to stay consistent with their sleep schedule

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is key. Teens should aim to go to bed and wake up around the same time every school day. If they’re feeling extra sleep deprived from the school week, allow them to sleep about 2 hours extra on weekends, but no more than this! 

If they’re feeling extra drowsy and need a nap, advise brief, 15-20 minute naps earlier in the day. 

Model good sleeping habits

Maintaining consistent sleep is easier said than done — it can be difficult for adults to balance work, chores, and family life. However, one of the most important things you can do as a parent is modeling healthy sleep habits. Show them that, even with your hectic schedule, sleep is an important priority. If you don’t do it, they’ll have a much harder time, too.

Final thoughts

Amidst school and social stresses, finding time for a quality 9 hours of sleep can be tough! Use these strategies as a starting point for cultivating better sleep hygiene for life.