Has your usually wide-awake teen started hitting the snooze button at every chance? Teens require around eight to 10 hours of sleep every night. However, juggling schoolwork, extracurricular activities and possibly a part-time job or sneaking late-night scrolling on social media can make it challenging for teens to get enough sleep every night. Playing catch-up on the weekends by trying to sleep in doesn’t work either.

Why is getting enough sleep so important for teens? The importance of restorative sleep is definitely more than just avoiding the grunts of communication and grumpiness of a drowsy teen in the morning. Getting enough sleep is instrumental for your teen’s mental health. Quality sleep plays a vital role in:

• Mood regulation — Have you ever experienced that blurred line between hunger and anger before a meal? Sleep deprivation can do the same things to your mood that needing food can. Just like your teen needs food to help fuel their body, your teen’s brain needs sleep to function at its best. Getting enough sleep isn’t just about avoiding a cranky teen; it also helps them manage their stress, anxiety and even symptoms of depression. When sleep deprived, your teen’s brain has a harder time regulating their emotions. This can make them more likely to feel overwhelmed, irritated or down.

• Cognitive function — While your teen sleeps, their brain keeps working hard, consolidating memories, processing information and boosting neural connections. This can help your teen to focus, concentrate and learn better. When your teen doesn’t get enough sleep, they can struggle to focus, retain information or do well in class. 

• Emotional processing — Adequate sleep lets your teen process emotional experiences in a healthy way. It can be difficult to navigate the roller coaster of teen emotions without getting enough sleep. These emotions can range from the emotional high of a first crush or the sting of rejection. With adequate sleep, the resting hours can help your teen process these emotional experiences, develop healthy coping skills and build their emotional resilience. 

Common sleep disruptors for teens

Let’s face it, getting enough sleep can sometimes be a challenge, and teens often face more sleep challenges than adults. Here are some common reasons why sleep doesn’t always come easily for teens and how you can help your teen tackle them:

• Part-time jobs — Many teens juggle a part-time job with academics and athletics. If your teen has a late-night shift during the week, help them try to get enough sleep on their days off. Playing catch-up doesn’t replace the hours lost but can help them going forward. You can also encourage them to talk with their employer about any scheduling conflicts that can interfere with their ability to get enough sleep. 

• Academic pressure — Stress from schoolwork, tests and homework deadlines can overwhelm your teen. This stress can keep them from being able to relax enough to fall asleep or stay asleep. Help your teen create realistic study schedules and develop good time management skills to give them enough time to complete schoolwork and also unwind before going to bed. It may also be helpful for them to practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing meditation. 

• Technology and social media — The constant barrage of social media notifications from Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok plus late-night texting with friends can keep your teen up into the wee hours of the night instead of much-needed slumber. To help combat this, you can work with your teen to set healthy boundaries around screen time, especially in the evenings. 

• Mental health concerns — Struggling with sleep problems can be common for teens who experience anxiety, depression or other mental health issues. It’s essential to seek professional help if you suspect your teen is dealing with a mental health challenge. Identifying and treating an underlying condition can help improve their sleep quality. 

What steps can you take to help your teen develop healthy sleep habits?

Here are some steps you can take to help turn your house into a sleep sanctuary to promote healthy sleep habits for your teen:

• Schedule a Sleep Meeting — Instead of dictating a bedtime, have a conversation with your teen about the challenges they face at night. Brainstorm solutions together. This helps empower them to take ownership of their sleep habits. 

• Develop a Sleep Schedule — Going to bed and waking up at consistent times, even on weekends, helps regulate the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. This internal clock helps keep your teen in sync with the light-dark cycle, promoting sleepiness at night and alertness during the day. 

• Create an Optimal Sleep Environment — Transform your teen’s bedroom into a sleep sanctuary! Invest in blackout curtains, earplugs and a comfy mattress to help create a dark, quiet and cool environment.

• Set a Pre-sleep Routine — Encourage your teen to unwind before bed with calming activities like reading, taking a warm bath or light stretching. These activities help signal to their body that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep. 

• Avoid Blue Light — Establish a screen-free zone in the bedroom at least an hour before bedtime. Blue light from electronics like phones and tablets can disrupt sleep cycles by suppressing melatonin, the hormone that signals sleepiness. 

• Set a Caffeine Stop — Beware of caffeine and sugary drinks, especially after noon. Caffeine is a stimulant that affects sleepiness, and sugary drinks can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, disrupting sleep throughout the night.

• Sleep Specialist Support — If your teen is still struggling with sleep despite best efforts, consult with a doctor or a sleep specialist. They can rule out any potential underlying medical conditions, like sleep apnea or anxiety, that may be affecting their sleep. 

If your teen’s sleep is being disrupted by mental health challenges, Embrace U can help

At Embrace U, we offer intensive outpatient mental health programs designed for adolescents aged 10-18. We use evidence-based therapies geared toward adolescents and teens. Together, we can help your teen work through their mental health challenges to achieve more restful sleep to help them thrive.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.