Is your teenager always cranky and groggy most mornings? A poor night’s sleep is a relevant reason to their mood. These effects of poor sleep are bad to a teenager’s health and it is a constant issue among most homes with teenagers. Teenagers need to have healthy sleep especially at this stage of their life. The quantity of sleep needed for them is at least 8-10 hours a night. Less than this is harmful to their day to day life and their health in the long run. There are many ways to improve teenagers' sleep hygiene and allow them to enjoy their teenage years. Here are some of the ways to help a teenager get enough sleep.

Control
the use of electronics

It
is second nature for many teenagers to stay up all night to catch up
with all social media friends and activities. Others who are
connected to Netflix, video games among other sources of
entertainment indulge in the same. This habit of enjoying the use of
electronics every night comes with a cost to every teenager. If you
find your teenager struggling to sleep or wake up. It is time to ban
all electronics from their rooms. Not only is the addiction to their
mobile phones affecting their sleep hygiene but the light exposure
from the screens also disrupts your sleep cycle keeping you alert.

Help
them ease into sleep 

No one is born understanding how
sleep works. Therefore, help your teenager realize sleep is not an
instant thing. Laying on their city
mattress does not
guarantee they will fall asleep fast. Hence the need to have a
sleep-friendly routine that eases them to sleep. Since every teenager
is different allow them to follow a quiet routine that they prefer.
Some distressing tasks are best such as reading a book, dimming the
lights, switching off all electronics and listening to music. There
are many other ways to help ease a teenager to sleep as long as it
does not stimulate their brain and keep them alert. Active pets and
toddlers should keep off their room for they will interfere with the
routine.

Have
a regular sleep schedule

Teach
your teenager how their circadian rhythm is affected if they have no
schedule. Through this information, you can help them create a
routine that will improve their sleep quality. Have them follow
through this schedule and keep at it during weekends and holiday
breaks. Although most of them feel like they need to recover their
sleep during the weekend. Teenagers that have a sleep routine do not
feel the need to pay any sleep debt. A regular sleep schedule is
restorative to the body and will help your teen have productive days
in school too.

Have
a reasonable afterschool routine

Most
teenagers once they arrive home want to throw off their school bag
and relax in their room. This keeps them off a routine and allows
them to lazy around. Therefore, ensure that you help them create an
after school routine to avoid affecting their sleep routine. By doing
this they will prevent any sort of procrastination and handle all
tasks including homework with ease. It is quite difficult at first
adjusting to a new routine. However, as momentum keeps up it will
make it easier for them to wind down for bed at the end of the day.

No
caffeine 

Although
most parents of teens think mobile phones are to blame for
sleep-deprived teens. Other factors to it can render the same issues.
For instance, consuming caffeine especially in energy drinks that
have a high level of caffeine. If they must have it, advise them how
its best to consume tea or coffee at least not later than lunchtime.
This will prevent any sleep disruption that could happen if they
consumed it later in the day. The snack that they opt to take before
bed is important as well. Some snacks can trigger
heartburn and others
will keep you alert instead of inducing you to sleep.

Try
supplements 

Some
supplements like melatonin will help reset the body’s internal
clock. These supplements are effective and natural. Have your teen
take them an hour before bedtime to act as a sleep aid. However, if
your teen has no sleep issues a bedtime routine is best for them. It
has no side effects in the long run. Plus, when compared to
prescription medicine that makes you all groggy in the morning by
decreasing your levels of REM sleep. Melatonin supplements are better
and will help your teen sleep better if they had issues sleeping.

Break
poor sleep habits 

Any
teenager with poor sleep habits is unable to concentrate at school
and perform well too. Also, this inadequate sleep can cause anxiety,
depression, and obesity among other health problems. One of these
poor sleep habits is taking afternoon naps or evening naps for they
make it harder to fall asleep at night. Naps also break up sleep for
most teens do not complete the sleep cycles and hence they get poor
quality sleep. This is
also a sign that your teenager is not getting enough sleep. Asmuch as
we concentrate on young children’s sleep quality, we should also
follow through the teenagers as well for their brains and bodies are
developing too.

Consult
a sleep specialist 

There
is a lot of harm that can come from a sleep-deprived teen. Not only
health issues but a teen driver, for instance, is at risk of getting
into car accidents. When as a parent the issue is getting out of hand
after you have tried various remedies. Consulting a sleep specialist
will help to check for any underlying issues. The sleep specialists
will best note if your teenager is depressed or has a disorder that
is causing them not to sleep well. Then they will offer your teenager
remedies or prescriptions that will help them fall asleep with ease.
This will improve their sleep hygiene and overall well-being in the
future.

END

See also related post "How to get better sleep" at https://truecare.org/blog/how-to-get-better-sleep/