How to Get Teens to Establish Good Sleeping Habits

Your teenager's desire to sleep in or stay up late isn't an act of rebellion on her part. Once your kids hit puberty, changes in their bodies trigger changes in their sleep cycle. While little kids can easily fall asleep before 9 p.m., teens are wired to stay awake past 11 p.m. On top of that, most teens need at least 8 1/2 to more than 9 hours of sleep each night. Their later bedtimes combined with an early rising for school means that about 90 percent of teens aren't getting the sleep they need, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Instructions

    • 1

      Create a sleep schedule with your teenager. Pick a time for her to go to bed each night and a time for waking up that allows her to get enough sleep and get to class on time. If your teen goes to bed at 11 p.m. and gets up at 7:30 a.m., she'll get 8 1/2 hours a night. If school starts earlier than that, she'll have to go to bed earlier.

    • 2

      Keep electronic gadgets, such as smartphones and tablets, out of your teen's bedroom. Have your teen leave her phone and other devices in the living room or kitchen when she goes to bed. If your teen brings her phone or tablet to bed with her, she might stay up late checking her social media pages or sending texts. The bright light from the screen also makes it difficult for people to fall asleep.

    • 3

      Set up a pre-bedtime schedule. About an hour before a teenager goes to bed, turn off the television, computer and other gadgets. Encourage activities that will help her relax and get ready for sleeping, such as light reading, listening to quiet music or taking a bath.

    • 4

      Limit the amount of caffeine and other stimulants your teen takes in. If your teen has trouble falling asleep, tell her not to drink coffee, sodas with caffeine or energy drinks after school or in the evening.

    • 5

      Stick to the sleep schedule, even on weekends. Sleeping into the afternoon or going to bed very late on Friday and Saturday can throw off a teen's sleep schedule and make it difficult for her to fall asleep at the usual time on Sunday night.

    • 6

      Make your teenager's room ideal for sleep by keeping it dark and cool. Hang up curtains or blinds to block out light from the windows. If your teen's room tends to be hot, put an air conditioner in the window or adjust the thermostat before she goes to bed. Bright light helps a teen wake up in the morning. Either head to her room first thing to open the curtains or blinds or place a lamp by her bed so that she can turn it on after waking up.

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