Have you started to wonder why your once-enthusiastic teen is now glued to perpetually hitting the snooze button? It’s not laziness, even though it may seem like that sometimes. Teens actually require more sleep than younger children. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teens get around eight to 10 hours of sleep per night, but between schoolwork, extracurricular activities and the allure of late-night social media scrolling, getting enough sleep can feel like an uphill battle. 

Why is sleep so crucial for teens? It’s definitely more important than just avoiding grumpy mornings and grunts for communication. Sleep is instrumental in your teen’s mental health. It plays a vital role in:

• Mood regulation — Have you ever felt like a super-hungry monster before breakfast? Sleep deprivation can have a similar effect on mood. Adequate sleep helps teens manage stress, anxiety and even symptoms of depression. When your teen is sleep deprived, their brain can struggle to regulate emotions, making them more susceptible to feeling overwhelmed, irritable or down. 
• Cognitive function — During sleep, the brain consolidates memories, processes information and helps strengthen neural connections. This can translate to better focus, concentration and learning in school. Without enough sleep, your teen can struggle to focus in class, retain information and do well on tests. 
• Emotional processing — Sleep allows teens to process emotional experiences in a healthy way. Without enough sleep, it’s difficult navigating the roller coaster of teenage emotions, such as the thrill of a first crush or the sting of social rejection. Sleep provides the space for your teen to process these experiences, develop coping skills and build emotional resilience. 

Sleep obstacles that teens can face

Teens can face unique challenges when it comes to sleep. Here are some common sleep disruptors and how to tackle them:

• Social media and technology — The constant lure of social media notifications and late-night texting can be a major sleep thief. Work with your teen to establish boundaries around screen time, especially in the evening. 
• Academic pressure — Your teen can be overloaded with schoolwork, tests and deadlines, and the resulting stress can make it hard for them to relax and fall asleep. Encourage your teen to develop good time management skills and create a realistic study schedule that allows them to get an adequate amount of sleep. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation can also be helpful. 
• Part-time jobs — Many teens juggle school with part-time jobs. If your teen has a late-night shift, try to ensure that they get enough sleep on their off days. Encourage them to talk to their employer about scheduling conflicts that might interfere with their sleep. 
• Mental health concerns — Teens and sleep have a complicated relationship. Bad sleep habits like irregular sleep schedules or not enough sleep can make mental health issues like depression or anxiety worse. On the other hand, teens struggling with mental health problems can experience a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep. This can create a vicious cycle where sleep problems make mental health worse and vice versa. Because of this bidirectional relationship, if you suspect your teen is dealing with a mental health concern, it’s crucial to seek professional help. Treatment for underlying conditions can help improve their sleep quality. 

How can you help your teen develop healthy sleep habits?

Here are some tips to turn your house into a sleep sanctuary for your teen:

• Talk to your teen about the importance of sleep. Set realistic sleep goals together. This can empower them to take ownership of their sleep hygiene. Instead of dictating a bedtime, have a conversation about the challenges they face and brainstorm solutions together. 
• Establish screen-free zones in the bedroom at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted from electronic devices can disrupt sleep cycles by suppressing the production of melatonin, a hormone that signals sleepiness. 
• Make sure your teen’s bedroom is dark, quiet and cool. Create a more sleep-conducive environment by investing in blackout curtains, earplugs and a comfortable mattress.
• Stick to a schedule. Going to bed and waking up at consistent times, even on the weekends, can help regulate the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, also known as the circadian rhythm. This internal clock helps keep your teen’s body in sync with the light-dark cycle. It helps promote feelings of sleepiness at night and alertness during the day. 
• Help your teen unwind before bed with calming activities like reading, taking a warm bath or light stretching. These activities can signal to your teen’s body that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep.
• Regular physical activity can help promote better sleep. However, your teen should avoid strenuous workouts too close to bedtime. Exercise can help tire out their body in a healthy way, but vigorous activity right before bed can be stimulating and make it harder to fall asleep. 
• Beware caffeine and sugary drinks. These can interfere with your teen’s sleep, especially when they drink them in the afternoon and evening. Caffeine is a stimulant that can affect the brain chemical that promotes sleepiness. Sugary drinks can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, which can disrupt sleep throughout the night. 
• Encourage your teen to get some natural sunlight exposure during the day. This can help regulate the body’s internal clock and keep their circadian rhythm in sync.
• Seek professional help if needed for your teen. If they continue to struggle with sleep despite their (and your) best efforts, consult with a doctor or sleep specialist. They can help determine if your teen has an underlying medical condition, like sleep apnea or anxiety, that’s affecting their sleep. 

Lightfully Teen can help your teen strengthen their mental health resilience for better sleep

At Lightfully Teen, we understand the challenges navigating the teen years can bring. If you suspect an underlying issue is affecting your teen’s sleep, we can help. Healthy sleep habits are an investment in your teen’s overall well-being. Your teen’s therapist will create an individualized plan around your teen’s specific needs and concerns to address the root causes of their sleep struggles. Using this fully personalized approach to provide whole-person-centered care, we can help your teen sleep better and thrive in all aspects of their lives. 

Change is possible. When they’re ready to take the first step, contact us. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of them.