How to Get Teens to Establish Good Sleeping Habits

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Implement a relaxing bedtime routine.

   Following a consistent routine every night before bed helps signal the brain that it is time to relax and get ready to sleep.
   
   Talk to your teenager about techniques they can use in the evening to calm down and relax every night.
   
   Give them some relaxation suggestions if they need some.Suggest to your teen to try reading for pleasure (not a school book), meditation, prayer, or taking a warm bath or shower.Create a calm home environment.
   
   Give your teenager plenty of time to eat dinner and get their homework done.
   
   Try not to be rushing around in the evenings to other commitments.
   
   If you want to have a serious conversation with them, don't do it at bedtime.
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   Step 2: Make your teenager’s bedroom a good place to sleep.

   A good sleeping environment needs to be cool, dark, quiet, safe and comfortable.
   
   Get your teen’s input about what you could do to help improve sleeping conditions in their bedroom.
   
   You may wish to consider the following:
   Get blackout curtains to keep natural light out.
   
   Buy a white noise machine or fan to block out distracting noises.
   
   Invest in a new mattress.
   
   Have your teen help you pick out one they find comfortable.
   
   Consider keeping all screens (TV, laptop, tablet, or phone) out of your teenager’s bedroom.
   
   If this is not possible due to the layout of your home or for other reasons, encourage your teen utilize electronic devices earlier in the evening, and not close to bedtime. , Avoid bright overhead lights and use ambient, dimmer lighting instead in the evenings.
   
   Light exposure tricks the brain into believing it is daytime and triggering more wakefulness.Have your teen avoid all screen exposure at least an hour before bed.
   
   The blue light frequency of computer and television screens can make you feel more awake.If your teenager is using a computer to work on homework at night, you can find apps that automatically adjust a computer’s light as night falls.
   
   This altered light will not generate the same amount of wakefulness in the brain. , Even though teens enjoy the personal space and privacy of their own room, bedrooms should be used for sleeping only.
   
   If a teen spends a lot of time playing video games in their room, for example, their brain may associate the room with wakefulness and excitement.You could consider enforcing a rule that all screen time needs to be in communal areas of the house.
   
   This is also a good strategy for internet safety.
   
   Try to get your teenager outside and in the sunlight during the daytime.
   
   This can help ensure their circadian rhythm is functioning well and their body will know day from night. , Help your teen come up with ways to maximize their sleep in the morning hours.
   
   Even just a few minutes can be beneficial.
   
   Let them try out a few techniques and check in after a few weeks to see if it's helping.
   
   Your teen may want to consider:
   Showering the night before Laying out the next day’s clothes before bed Taking something for breakfast “to go” and eating it on the way to school
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   Step 3: Limit light exposure at night.

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   Step 4: Get your teenager out of their bedroom.

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   Step 5: Let them sleep as late as possible in the morning.

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