Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSleep That Teens NeedImportance of SleepA Good Bedtime HourEncouraging Sleep
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Sleep That Teens Need
Importance of Sleep
A Good Bedtime Hour
Encouraging Sleep
Parents of teenagers know that the days of putting your child to bed at 8 p.m. are long gone. Now, you’re lucky if your teenager falls asleep before midnight. As a 13-year-old transitions from being a pre-teen, it’s natural for them to stay up later.
Teen biological sleep patterns shift toward later sleeping and waking time during adolescence.At the same time, with busy lifestyles and plenty of activities, there’s a good chance your teen is not getting the proper rest.
This article looks at ways that parents can help teens get the right amount of sleep, keeping them healthier today while instillinggood sleep habitsthat may last across a lifetime.
harpazo_hope / Getty Images
How Much Sleep Does Your Teen Need?
The Importance of Sleep for Teens
Everyone needs a good amount of sleep each night, but the teen years are an especially important time to be getting that rest. Health benefits of appropriate sleep include:
Should Your Teen Still Sleep With Parents?Most children aren’t co-sleeping with their parents at the age of 13. There’s limited research on teens, but a study of 113 school-aged kids (up to age 12) found it steadily more rare as young kids aged toward their teen years.Anxietywas a big factor, though: More than a third of anxious kids sought comfort in sleeping with a parent or sibling.
Should Your Teen Still Sleep With Parents?
Most children aren’t co-sleeping with their parents at the age of 13. There’s limited research on teens, but a study of 113 school-aged kids (up to age 12) found it steadily more rare as young kids aged toward their teen years.Anxietywas a big factor, though: More than a third of anxious kids sought comfort in sleeping with a parent or sibling.
An Overview of the Link Between Mental Health and Sleep Disorders
What Is a Good Bedtime for 13-Year-Olds?
Parents and caregivers often wonder if it is still appropriate to give a teenager a definitive bedtime. The answer depends on your teen and your situation. A 13-year-old may need more help going to sleep at an appropriate hour, and parents can help. A 17-year-old shouldn’t need as many reminders about good sleep habits.
Rather than give an older teen a strict bedtime, it’s better to educate your teen. Let them know how much sleep their growing body needs, and howmelatonin,circadian rhythms, and other sleep-regulating functions work in teen bodies.Keep the focus on planning their schedules and encouraging a healthy bedtime hour, rather than strictly enforcing it.
For teens who still aren’t motivated to go to sleep at a reasonable hour, establish some rules. For example, you can tell your teen they can’t drive the car unless you’re sure they had plenty of sleep the night before. Explain that driving while tired is a common cause of teen car crashes, a leading cause of teen death and injury in the United States.
Make sure your teen knows that being too tired isn’t a badge of honor. Students often seem to pride themselves on staying up all night to study for exams or to play video games with their friends. They may brag about getting only five hours of sleep and seem to think depriving their bodies of rest is a sign of strength.
5 Simple Tips to Improve Teen Sleep Habits
Encouraging a Teen to Go to Sleep
There are other rules you can make and steps you can take to help your teen get enough rest. Some or all of these parenting tips and strategies mayhelp to encourage healthy sleep patterns.
Confiscate All Electronic Devices
At 9 p.m. each night, collect smartphones, tablets, and other devices. Keep them in a basket in a common area of the house (or if your teen is prone to sneaking them back, in your bedroom).
Too often, teens stay up late connecting with friends or browsing the Internet, and the light from the screens interferes with their quality of sleep.Do yourself a favor and toss your phone in that basket, too.
How Screen Light From Devices Affects Your Sleep
Discourage Caffeine Use
Instead of serving soda or other caffeinated drinks, have your teen try to drink only milk or water for dinner. Even sipping on sports or energy drinks after school can affect a teen’s sleep.
Keep energy drinks and caffeinated sodas out of the house, and discourage your teen from drinking coffee. If they need caffeine to get through the day, then they probably need more sleep overall.
Effects of Caffeine on Teenagers
Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment
Finding the Best Temperature for Your Sleep Needs
Keep Sleep Schedules on Weekends
Many teens shift sleep patterns on the weekend and doze until noon or later. A 2022 study of myths about teen sleep found that 74% of parents and caregivers said it was “no big deal” for teens to shift sleep patterns on the weekends.But this leads to “social jet lag” and can contribute to mental health symptoms, risky behaviors, and problems in school, so keeping the routine is important.
Why You Should Keep a Consistent Bedtime Every Night
Make a Set Bedtime
Is Too Much Napping Bad For Your Health?
Be a Good Role Model
Keep in mind the health benefits of sleep for your teen, and remember that healthy diet and exercise habits during the day can support better sleep, too. Research shows 30 minutes of exercise each day can improve a person’s sleep quality.
Summary
Many teens aren’t getting enough sleep, and that may come as no surprise to adults who never get enough sleep either. But the teen years are an important time to cultivate good sleep habits. It’s one of the reasons for parents to set a good example now, and to teach a 13-year-old the techniques they’ll need to know across a lifetime in order to be well-rested.
With better sleep, your teen will be a healthier and happier person and may perform better in class and at sports. If you think a health issue is disrupting your teen’s sleep, contact your healthcare provider.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tarokh L, Saletin JM, Carskadon MA.Sleep in adolescence: Physiology, cognition and mental health.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016;70:182-188. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.008.Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, Hall WA, Kotagal S, Lloyd RM,et al.Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the Recommended Amount of Sleep for Healthy Children: Methodology and Discussion.J Clin Sleep Med. 2016 Nov 15;12(11):1549-1561. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6288.Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Croft JB.School start times, sleep, behavioral, health, and academic outcomes: A review of the literature.J Sch Health. 2016;86(5):363-81. doi:10.1111/josh.12388.Kansagra S.Sleep disorders in adolescents.Pediatrics. 2020;145(Supplement_2):S204-S209. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2056IPalmer CA, Clementi MA, Meers JM, Alfano CA.Co-Sleeping among School-Aged Anxious and Non-Anxious Children: Associations with Sleep Variability and Timing.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2018 Aug;46(6):1321-1332. doi:10.1007/s10802-017-0387-1.Robbins R, Beebe DW, Byars KC, Grandner M, Hale L, Tapia IE,et al.Adolescent sleep myths: Identifying false beliefs that impact adolescent sleep and well-being.Sleep Health. 2022 Dec;8(6):632-639. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2022.08.001.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors for teen drivers.Lebourgeois MK, Hale L, Chang AM, Akacem LD, Montgomery-Downs HE, Buxton OM.Digital media and sleep in childhood and adolescence.Pediatrics. 2017;140(Suppl 2):S92-S96.doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1758J.Aepli A, Kurth S, Tesler N, Jenni OG, Huber R.Caffeine consuming children and adolescents show altered sleep behavior and deep sleep.Brain Sci. 2015;5(4):441-55. doi:10.3390/brainsci5040441.Michigan Medicine.10 Tips to Help Your Teen Sleep Better.John Hopkins Medicine.Exercising for better sleep.Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Pediatrics.Healthy sleep habits: How many hours does your child need?National Sleep Foundation.How much sleep do babies and kids need?
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tarokh L, Saletin JM, Carskadon MA.Sleep in adolescence: Physiology, cognition and mental health.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016;70:182-188. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.008.Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, Hall WA, Kotagal S, Lloyd RM,et al.Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the Recommended Amount of Sleep for Healthy Children: Methodology and Discussion.J Clin Sleep Med. 2016 Nov 15;12(11):1549-1561. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6288.Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Croft JB.School start times, sleep, behavioral, health, and academic outcomes: A review of the literature.J Sch Health. 2016;86(5):363-81. doi:10.1111/josh.12388.Kansagra S.Sleep disorders in adolescents.Pediatrics. 2020;145(Supplement_2):S204-S209. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2056IPalmer CA, Clementi MA, Meers JM, Alfano CA.Co-Sleeping among School-Aged Anxious and Non-Anxious Children: Associations with Sleep Variability and Timing.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2018 Aug;46(6):1321-1332. doi:10.1007/s10802-017-0387-1.Robbins R, Beebe DW, Byars KC, Grandner M, Hale L, Tapia IE,et al.Adolescent sleep myths: Identifying false beliefs that impact adolescent sleep and well-being.Sleep Health. 2022 Dec;8(6):632-639. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2022.08.001.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors for teen drivers.Lebourgeois MK, Hale L, Chang AM, Akacem LD, Montgomery-Downs HE, Buxton OM.Digital media and sleep in childhood and adolescence.Pediatrics. 2017;140(Suppl 2):S92-S96.doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1758J.Aepli A, Kurth S, Tesler N, Jenni OG, Huber R.Caffeine consuming children and adolescents show altered sleep behavior and deep sleep.Brain Sci. 2015;5(4):441-55. doi:10.3390/brainsci5040441.Michigan Medicine.10 Tips to Help Your Teen Sleep Better.John Hopkins Medicine.Exercising for better sleep.Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Pediatrics.Healthy sleep habits: How many hours does your child need?National Sleep Foundation.How much sleep do babies and kids need?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Tarokh L, Saletin JM, Carskadon MA.Sleep in adolescence: Physiology, cognition and mental health.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016;70:182-188. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.008.Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, Hall WA, Kotagal S, Lloyd RM,et al.Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the Recommended Amount of Sleep for Healthy Children: Methodology and Discussion.J Clin Sleep Med. 2016 Nov 15;12(11):1549-1561. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6288.Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Croft JB.School start times, sleep, behavioral, health, and academic outcomes: A review of the literature.J Sch Health. 2016;86(5):363-81. doi:10.1111/josh.12388.Kansagra S.Sleep disorders in adolescents.Pediatrics. 2020;145(Supplement_2):S204-S209. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2056IPalmer CA, Clementi MA, Meers JM, Alfano CA.Co-Sleeping among School-Aged Anxious and Non-Anxious Children: Associations with Sleep Variability and Timing.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2018 Aug;46(6):1321-1332. doi:10.1007/s10802-017-0387-1.Robbins R, Beebe DW, Byars KC, Grandner M, Hale L, Tapia IE,et al.Adolescent sleep myths: Identifying false beliefs that impact adolescent sleep and well-being.Sleep Health. 2022 Dec;8(6):632-639. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2022.08.001.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors for teen drivers.Lebourgeois MK, Hale L, Chang AM, Akacem LD, Montgomery-Downs HE, Buxton OM.Digital media and sleep in childhood and adolescence.Pediatrics. 2017;140(Suppl 2):S92-S96.doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1758J.Aepli A, Kurth S, Tesler N, Jenni OG, Huber R.Caffeine consuming children and adolescents show altered sleep behavior and deep sleep.Brain Sci. 2015;5(4):441-55. doi:10.3390/brainsci5040441.Michigan Medicine.10 Tips to Help Your Teen Sleep Better.John Hopkins Medicine.Exercising for better sleep.
Tarokh L, Saletin JM, Carskadon MA.Sleep in adolescence: Physiology, cognition and mental health.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016;70:182-188. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.008.
Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, Hall WA, Kotagal S, Lloyd RM,et al.Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the Recommended Amount of Sleep for Healthy Children: Methodology and Discussion.J Clin Sleep Med. 2016 Nov 15;12(11):1549-1561. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6288.
Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Croft JB.School start times, sleep, behavioral, health, and academic outcomes: A review of the literature.J Sch Health. 2016;86(5):363-81. doi:10.1111/josh.12388.
Kansagra S.Sleep disorders in adolescents.Pediatrics. 2020;145(Supplement_2):S204-S209. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2056I
Palmer CA, Clementi MA, Meers JM, Alfano CA.Co-Sleeping among School-Aged Anxious and Non-Anxious Children: Associations with Sleep Variability and Timing.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2018 Aug;46(6):1321-1332. doi:10.1007/s10802-017-0387-1.
Robbins R, Beebe DW, Byars KC, Grandner M, Hale L, Tapia IE,et al.Adolescent sleep myths: Identifying false beliefs that impact adolescent sleep and well-being.Sleep Health. 2022 Dec;8(6):632-639. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2022.08.001.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors for teen drivers.
Lebourgeois MK, Hale L, Chang AM, Akacem LD, Montgomery-Downs HE, Buxton OM.Digital media and sleep in childhood and adolescence.Pediatrics. 2017;140(Suppl 2):S92-S96.doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1758J.
Aepli A, Kurth S, Tesler N, Jenni OG, Huber R.Caffeine consuming children and adolescents show altered sleep behavior and deep sleep.Brain Sci. 2015;5(4):441-55. doi:10.3390/brainsci5040441.
Michigan Medicine.10 Tips to Help Your Teen Sleep Better.
John Hopkins Medicine.Exercising for better sleep.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Healthy sleep habits: How many hours does your child need?National Sleep Foundation.How much sleep do babies and kids need?
American Academy of Pediatrics.Healthy sleep habits: How many hours does your child need?
National Sleep Foundation.How much sleep do babies and kids need?
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
