Sleep Facts & Tips for Teenagers

Tips for an Ideal Sleep Environment 

• References for the following tips can be found below

  • Make sure your bedroom is cool. Your body temperature naturally decreases to initiate sleep. A bedroom temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit helps promote sleep. 

  • Make sure your bedroom is quiet. Turn off noisy distractions such as a TV. Silence unwanted noise with earplugs or use “white noise,” such as from a fan, sound machine or an app.

  • Make sure your bedroom is dark. Use blackout shade to block out unwanted light and dim the lights on your digital clock.

  • Sleep on a mattress and pillows that are comfortable and supportive.

• References for these tips can be found below

  • Keep phones in a different neutral location so teens are not tempted to use their phones and have blue light negatively impacting their sleep 

  • Television viewing, computer-game playing, internet use, and other stimulating activities at bedtime will cause problems falling asleep

Sleep Routine

• References for these tips can be found below

  • Relax at least one hour before bed 

  • Finish eating meals 2-3 hours before bedtime.

  • Exercise regularly. A low-impact fitness program, like walking, swimming or yoga, is helpful for managing pain and stiffness and improving sleep.

  • Try to limit how many caffeinated products (energy drinks, soda, coffee)you consume in the afternoon.

  • Initiate a relaxing routine up to an hour before bed this may include a bath and a hot milky drink or meditation 

  • (Headspace a mindfulness app is free for teenagers). Gentle yoga may also help.

  • Do the same bedtime routine every night for at least four weeks to make your brain associate this routine with going to sleep.

    • In order to initiate a new bedtime routine it can take up to four weeks of doing the same routine

    • If you need to move up your bedtime do so in 10 minute increments weekly (if you want to move up your bedtime from 10pm to 9pm begin going to sleep at 9:50 every day for one week and then the next week 9:40 and so on.) 

  • Set up a regular wake-up time even on weekends

  • Remember that even 30 minutes of extra sleep each night on a regular basis makes a big difference. However, it may take about six weeks of getting extra sleep before you feel the benefits.

National Sleep Foundation
National Children's Sleep Disorder Center
Better help Australia's Department of Health 

If you have trouble sleeping

• References for these tips can be found below

  • Hide the clock. Watching the hours tick by can stress you out. Turn the clock so you cannot see it from your pillow. 

  • Try to limit naps

  • Ways to relax 

    • Read a book or magazine.

    • Listen to soft music or an audiobook.

    • Count backward from 300 by 3.

    • Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Starting at your feet and working your way up to your head, tense each group of muscles for a second or two and then relax them.

    • Do belly breathing. Put your hand on your belly. Take a breath in, letting it push your hand out as your belly rises. Your chest should not move. Hold it for a count of 5, release for a count of 5. Repeat 

• References for these tips can be found below

  • Meditation

    • Lie in bed face up with your hands at your side.

    • Spend a few moments practicing controlled breathing.

    • Direct your attention to sensations in your feet without labeling them as good or bad.

    • Breathe deeply and imagine the breath traveling all the way to your feet. As you exhale, let your feet dissolve from your awareness, and direct your attention to your ankles and calves.

    • Move your attention progressively upward until you reach the head.

    • Finish the practice by becoming aware of your body as a whole and breathing deeply.

  • Imagery also sometimes called visualization—is a technique that involves imagining peaceful or comforting scenes that encourage the body to relax. You can practice visualization on your own or you can access guided imagery exercises online or through apps.

    • Find a comfortable position and close your eyes. Practice controlled breathing for a few moments.

    • Imagine yourself in a scene that feels calming and relaxing, such as on a beach.

    • Picture as many pleasant details as you can, taking note of feelings of relaxation in your body.

  • 4-7-8 Breathing was created to calm the nervous system and promote relaxation. This method of breathing control involves establishing a pattern of inhaling, holding breath, and exhaling in a specific ratio.

    • Close your eyes and place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind your teeth. Keep your tongue in this position for the whole exercise.

    • Close your mouth and breathe in through your nose as you count to four in your mind.

    • Hold your breath, and count to seven.

    • Open your mouth and exhale as you count to eight. Allow the breath to make a whooshing sound as it leaves your body.

    • Repeat steps two through four three more times, making sure that your breathing pattern follows the 4-7-8 ratio.

  • Play a Word Game can help you relax by keeping stressful thoughts at bay. Games that engage you in repetitive, monotonous tasks are also likely to make you feel sleepy. 

    • Pick a neutral word of five or more letters. Choose a word without repeating letters, such as dream.

    • Think of as many words as you can that begin with the first letter of your chosen word. For the word dream, you might list the words dog, duck, donut, or dimples.

    • Visualize each word you come up with.

    • Repeat this process for each letter in the word

    • If you feel sleepy before finishing the game, allow yourself to fall asleep.

 Mount Sinai
Sleep foundation