Sleep Habits – Teens

Talk to your teen about why it’s important to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
If your teen is going to bed at a very late hour, teach him/her how to change bedtime a little at a time. Suggest that your teen go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until the best bedtime is reached.
Have your teen keep their bedroom quiet, dark, and cool at bedtime. It’s best to remove the TV, computer, telephone, or electronic games from the bedroom. Encourage your teen to manage their homework load.
This can prevent the need to study all night before a test or stay up late to do homework.
If a teen has trouble waking up in the morning, ask what you can do to help.
– Offer to wake them.
– Offer to check to make sure your teen got up when the alarm went off.
– Offer to turn on a bright light in the room when it is time to get up.
Teach your teen to avoid caffeine (found in soda, energy drinks, coffee, tea, and chocolate) after 3 p.m.
If your teen is overweight, work together to set goals for a healthy weight. Being overweight can be linked with sleep problems.

Services related to this information:

811 HealthLine (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555

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