This article explains simple ways to help your teenager improve their sleep hygiene.
Getting morning sunlight within an hour of waking up impacts your teen’s internal clock, which can help them fall asleep earlier and maintain their sleep schedule.
This is especially important for adolescents because melatonin, or the hormone that helps the body know it’s time to sleep, is released later at night in them compared to children and adults.
The noise and screen light can be overly stimulating and keep your teen up at night. This can reduce the amount of time they are able to sleep, as well as delay the release of melatonin.
Ideally, the bedroom should be kept quiet, dark, cool, and comfortable to encourage sleep.
Homework and anything else distracting should be put away. This wind-down time should feel like a noticeable shift that helps your teen mentally prepare for sleep. This may make it easier for them to fall asleep at the start of the night.
Likewise, late-night eating can disrupt sleep and may cause heartburn, which can lead to discomfort in the chest and throat. Dinner or snacks should be eaten around the same time each day and preferably hours before going to sleep.
Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol are all associated with insomnia and frequent wakings that interrupt sleep. Chocolate, soda, tea, coffee, and energy drinks may all contain caffeine, a stimulant that increases brain activity. Nicotine may be found in tobacco products, including smokeless ones.
It’s important to note that certain sleep disorders may appear during adolescence. Examples include sleep apnea, or when breathing is interrupted briefly during sleep, and narcolepsy, which describes extreme daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks.
If your teen is having difficulty sleeping, reach out to their healthcare provider.
Keeping a regular sleep schedule, limiting screen time, winding down before bed, avoiding sleep-disrupting behaviors, and prioritizing sleep can all help improve sleep hygiene in teens.
A Word From Verywell
If your teenager is having trouble sleeping at night, or is tired during the day, you may want to take them to see their healthcare provider. They may offer solutions that help your teen sleep better at night and feel better during the day.
