5 Good Sleep Habits For Teenagers

Living with teenagers can be challenging at the best of times, but when those teenagers aren’t getting enough sleep, then the fun really starts. From mood swings to health problems, to maintaining focus at school, lack of sleep can have more of an impact on teenagers than they realize.

If you’re struggling to help set good sleep habits for teenagers in your house, read on for some sleeping tips for teenagers that might just get them back on track and feeling better.

How much sleep do teenagers need?

First, let’s ask the question, how much sleep should a teenager get?

Sleep experts recommend that those between 13 and 19 should aim for 8-10 hours a night. Do you think your teen manages to get that much? If your answer is no, you are not alone. If we ask how much sleep does the average teenager get, the answer is scarily low, with young people often losing out on 2-3 hours per night.

Over time, losing this much sleep can affect us both physically and mentally. So, step in now, read our sleeping tips for teenagers and start the conversation. Learning how to sleep more deeply and how to fall asleep faster for teenagers is a life skill - one that will benefit them (and you) for a long time to come.

Sleeping tips for teenagers

1. Create a relaxing night routine for teenagers

Can you remember back to when your silent teen was a rowdy, giggling ball of toddler fun? Back then a bedtime routine was vital. Whether it was a story and a beaker of warm milk, or a relaxing bath and mommy cuddles, a familiar series of events signaled to your little one that bedtime was approaching, and helped their brains get ready for sleep. And science says the same thing works for older brains too, so why not try out the benefits of a calming night time routine for teenagers? Soothing music, a soak in a hot bubble bath and a chapter of a good book could be some of the helpful ways to fall asleep fast for teenagers who are struggling to nod off.

2. Create the perfect sleep environment for your teen

When it comes to creating good sleep habits for teenagers, you could do worse than focusing on their sleep environment. Give them a room they feel calm in by decorating it in their favorite colors. And choose comfortable wool bedding to help regulate their body temperature. This will give them a more restful night that could increase their deep regenerative sleep (the part that rejuvenates their brain and body) by up to 25%, helping them wake up feeling refreshed and better able to focus.

3. Model good sleep habits for teenagers

As anyone with a teenager will know, asking them to do something you’re not doing yourself is a surefire way to start a fight. So, get supportive and do as you’d like them to do…

Make sure you all head to bed at a reasonable time, and turn off screens and tablets at least an hour before. Avoiding blue-light emitting screens has been scientifically proven to be one of the best ways to fall asleep fast for teenagers. There’s no denying, for many social-media obsessed teens, the temptation to check messages throughout the night is strong. So why not agree as a family to keep phones outside of bedrooms? You might even find there are some benefits to your sleep too!

4. Teach your teen to manage their stress levels

From social pressures to relationships, and exams, teenage-life can be stressful, and worries from the day can whirl around your teen’s head at night making it difficult for them to get enough rest. Teach them some strategies that will help. Learn meditation, deep breathing or yoga techniques together, encourage gentle exercise during the day and help them find hobbies they enjoy. Or failing that, just talk. Allowing your teen to open up about what’s getting them down, whether to you or someone else, can help clear their mind for sleep.

And with the rise in mental health issues in our young people, remember, anything you can teach them now is sure to benefit them throughout their life.

5. Help your teenager to avoid common triggers

There are many common things that affect sleep. By making your teenager aware of them, you can help them make better choices in the hours before bedtime:

• Avoid caffeine – Help your teen to understand that it’s not only coffee and tea that are the culprits, many of their regular evening treats like sodas and chocolate, may contain sleep-stealing caffeine.
• Avoid spicy food – Another trigger, many spices can cause restlessness in the night.
• Avoid exercise too close to bed – Does your teen know that working out right before bedtime can cause an adrenaline boost that will stop them falling asleep quickly?

Our sleeping tips for teenagers can’t promise you a bright and breezy teen, but by learning how to fall asleep fast for teenagers, you should be able to head off those mood swings as well as help to improve concentration and general health and wellbeing.

If you become worried that there is no explanation for your teen’s sleeplessness, or you are concerned about excessive sleeping in teenagers in your care, be sure to raise it with your physician.

For more ideas about how to sleep better at night naturally, visit our Sleep Health & Advice hub.