Sleep and wellbeing are strongly linked. We know that one of signs that someone may be struggling with their mental health is a change to their sleep pattern. Poor sleep can affect our mental health, and poor mental health can also affect the quality of our sleep.

Here are some helpful videos and other resources to help you get a better night's sleep and improve your sleep pattern. 

Information for young people

Everyone requires an adequate amount of sleep and the amount of sleep each person requires depends on multiple factors. The average amount of sleep recommended for teenagers aged between 14-18 years is approximately eight to nine hours per night.

Sleep will support with your concentration and learning. During sleep you will process what you have learnt through the day and with enough sleep you are energised and more creative when awake. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can feel irritable, aggressive, upset and/or tearful. Lack of sleep can make it difficult to process feelings and emotions and your immune system will not fight off illnesses as well as it would with adequate sleep. When sleeping, your body heals and grows, therefore lack of sleep can impact growth and recovery.

As a teenager, your body and brain go through significant development. The brain alters and often teenagers go to bed later and later and get up later and later the next day, which can become a problem if you are awake during the night and wanting to sleep during the day. This pattern is not uncommon and getting into a good routine will help. Here are some useful tips:

  • Have a regular sleep time and a regular wake up time to support your circadian rhythm (24-hour body clock).
  • Avoid caffeine after 4pm.
  • Talk to adults about any worries or concerns as it can help lessen anxiety at bedtime and support with a good night’s sleep.
  • Switch off all screens an hour before bedtime. If you look at screens before going to sleep, you may not produce enough melatonin (the sleep hormone) to make you feel tired and support with sleep settling.
  • Close the curtains and dim the lights one hour before bedtime as this supports with the production of melatonin (the sleep hormone).
  • Consider having a bath 30 minutes before you want to go to sleep as the change in body temperature supports sleep settling.
  • Consider eating supper or sugar free snacks before bedtime (e.g., porridge, toast, or sleepy foods) to support with sleep settling and prevent hunger during sleep settling or in the night.
  • Consider listening to calm and quiet music before bedtime.
  • When you wake up, open your curtains and if possible, go outdoors into natural daylight to support your circadian rhythm (24-hour body clock).
     

 

It’s important to keep active, but it’s also important to learn how to relax.

Getting enough sleep can make a real difference to how you feel. It can give you more energy, help you to think more clearly and so feel more able to deal with your worries. Sleep can affect both our mental health and our physical health.

Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. Our need for sleep is usually greater when we’re growing and developing, and it gets less as we get older. Teenagers usually need at least 8-9 hours of sleep.

Environment (your bedroom)

  • Use your bedroom mostly for sleep
  • Tidy away distractions such as school or college work before you go to bed
  • Cut out light and noise as much as possible
  • Adjust your room temperature, so it is not too cold or too hot

Behaviour

  • Try to have a sleep routine, going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time each day
  • Do physical activities during the day (eg exercise, sport, walking)
  • Cut down on drinks that contain caffeine (eg tea, coffee, coke and energy drinks)
  • Allow your body to naturally adjust to night time by avoiding bright lights, watching TV, using a computer or playing video games before going to bed
  • Set an alarm if you need to get up at a certain time

Thinking

If you are having problems sleeping, it can be your body’s way of telling you that there are other things causing you difficulty; it might be that you’re unwell at the moment, or it might be that you have worries that are playing on your mind and making it hard for you to sleep.

Sleep is something that you can’t force to happen; trying hard to make yourself sleep can cause you to feel tense and anxious, which then makes sleep even harder. If you find that your mind is very active when you go to bed or during the night and this is stopping you from sleeping, you might need help to wind down and switch off.

Try these tips before going to bed:

  • Write down any worries; or make a list of the things you need to remember to do.
  • Tidy away things that might trigger worrying thoughts, such as homework.
  • Have a warm drink (not tea or coffee).
  • Maybe have a warm bath.
  • Have something peaceful to focus on, e.g. calming music or a relaxation exercise.

Bedtime routine example
 

TV off

Jigsaw

Bath time

PJs

Teeth

Bed

Book

Sleep

Graphic image of a small grey TV with a black screen

 

Illustration of a plain blue jigsaw puzzle made up of four individual pieces

 

Cartoon style illustration of a figure in a bath

 

Illustration of bright green pyjamas

 

Illustration of teeth brushing with an open mouth and up / down arrows

 

Illustration of a brown single bed frame with blue bedding and a white pillow

 

Cartoon style illustration of an adult in a blue top reading from a red book to a child in a green top

 

Cartoon-style illustration of a young person asleep in a single brown bed with blue bedding and a white pillow.

 

 

  1. Switch off electronic devices
  2. Do a low stimulus activity (eg puzzle, card game)
  3. Have a shower or a bath
  4. Put on your pyjamas
  5. Brush your teeth
  6. Get into bed
  7. Read a book or listen to a story
  8. Sleep time

​​​​​​​A sleep diary is a record of sleep-related information, such as your sleep schedule, sleep quality and things that might affect your sleep, such as what you do before bedtime. Keeping a sleep diary can help you and others to understand your sleep habits better, which can help when making changes to improve your sleep. 

Download a sleep diary template for a young person or teenager and read our tips for completing a sleep diary below.

  1. Keep the diary by the bed - this helps you to keep a live document and update it accurately.
  2. Record the start date at the top of the page, it doesn’t matter what day you start recording.
  3. Record the name of the person whose sleep is being recorded and who is completing the diary.
  4. Record additional information on a separate sheet if needed.
  5. Be honest when completing the sleep diary.
  6. Complete a minimum of one week of sleep diaries.
  7.  Completing two to four sleep diaries supports a better assessment of sleep difficulties.
  8.  If you have an allocated worker, please share the sleep diaries with them when discussing sleep difficulties as this will support their understanding.

Information for parents and carers

 

Learning to relax can support with achieving a good night’s sleep. Anxiety can be heightened during the evening routine for everyone involved when an individual is experiencing sleep difficulties, therefore it is important to practice relaxation. Please see some ideas below:

  • Spending one-to-one time with your child without interruptions can support with relaxation.
  • Avoid physical activity and physical play before bed as this will stimulate the brain. There is a misconception that exercise will help wear children and young people out, but it actually has the opposite effect.
  • Find time during the day to share worries and concerns with your child as this will reduce anxieties and support with relaxation.
  • Closing the curtains, dimming the lights, and using lamps can provide a relaxed environment.
  • Consider using relaxation apps that give verbal instructions and visualise calm imagery stories. Adults can support a child or young person by talking through a calming imaginary scene such as a walk in the park.
  • Consider classical music or white noise during the bedtime routine.
  • Consider aromatherapy but check that the blends are suitable for children.
  • Massaging is a good way of relaxing.

Some activities for your child to try before bed:

  • Imagining breathing in beauty and calm, and breathing out any worries.
  • Relaxing all the muscles in their body. They can do this by tensing their feet for a count of five and then letting them relax. The child or young person should then work their way up the body, tensing and relaxing key areas, eg calf muscles, stomach, arms, hands, shoulders.

If you are concerned about anxiety levels always seek advice from a medical practitioner.

  • Do not let your child have prolonged naps in the late afternoon as this will affect the length of time they sleep at night. If your child absolutely does have to sleep, schedule the nap for early afternoon.
  • Make sure that your child does not go to bed hungry but be aware that generally children over six months old do not need feeds / drinks during the night.
  • Avoid stimulating activity in the hour before bedtime - think low stimulation activities like story books or jigsaws.
  • Avoid drinks with caffeine or sugar such as cola, hot chocolate, tea, and coffee before bedtime.
  • Keep a regular bedtime for your child as much as possible.
  • Keep room temperature to a comfortable level. High temperatures disturb sleep while cold rooms during the night are likely to make children alert if they wake in the night.
  • Environmental noise should be kept to a minimum (no loud or bright TVs), if sound is needed then consider quiet music or talking books which should be turned off prior to your child falling asleep.
  • If you use music or talking books when your child is falling asleep, these should be left on throughout the night to ensure consistency as it may be a sleep association.
  • Have a routine such as a bedtime story but look to leave the room once complete to help your child to learn to fall asleep alone in their own bed without your presence.
  • Make sure that your child’s room is quiet and dark.
  • Wake your child at a regular hour each morning, so that the sleep cycle is strengthened.