Sleep for teenagers

Sleep affects your focus, learning, mood and safety. Teenagers need more than most people think, and your body clock naturally shifts later, which makes good habits even more useful.

How much sleep you need

• The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends that teenagers aged 13 to 18 sleep 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis.
• Cleveland Clinic notes that up to half of teens do not get enough, and many get only about 6 or 7 hours.
• Not getting enough sleep is linked to problems with attention, behaviour and learning, and to a higher risk of accidents, injuries and low mood.
• If you are 18 or over, adult sleep needs apply, but the habits below are the same.

Your shifting body clock

• Teenagers have a natural delay in their circadian rhythm, so feeling awake late at night is partly biology, not laziness.
• Early school starts then cut into sleep, which is why many teens feel tired in the morning.
• Going to bed and waking at about the same time every day, including weekends, helps your body clock settle.
• Long weekend lie-ins do not fully make up for lost weekday sleep.

Screens and the hour before bed

• The NHS suggests not using phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed.
• Use the time for something calm: reading, a shower, light stretching, or breathing exercises.
• Charge your phone outside your bedroom or out of reach so notifications do not wake you.
• If worries keep you awake, write tomorrow's tasks on paper before bed to clear your mind.

Caffeine, exercise and your room

• Tea, coffee, cola and energy drinks contain caffeine, which keeps you alert. EFSA notes that 100mg of caffeine can affect sleep in some adults when taken close to bedtime.
• Swap caffeinated drinks in the evening for water, warm milk or herbal tea.
• Being active during the day helps sleep, but if late workouts keep you awake, move them earlier.
• Aim for a room that is quiet, dark and cool. In the Gulf, a fan or air conditioning, blackout curtains or an eye mask can help.

When to get help

• If you regularly cannot fall asleep, wake many times, snore loudly, or feel exhausted despite enough time in bed, talk to a doctor.
• Low mood and sleep problems often go together. Talking to a trusted adult or doctor about either is a good step.
• Avoid using energy drinks or extra coffee to push through tiredness; it can make the next night's sleep worse.