Going to bed - how to help your teen get enough sleep

Aug 4, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Jul 22

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Sleep is an essential part of good health, so make sure your child is getting enough rest. Of course, this can be easier said than done, so let's look at ways to head towards that goal.

Teenagers need a lot of sleep given the huge changes taking place in their bodies, somewhere between eight and ten hours each night. Tempting though it may be to study late into the night, they'll be much better off putting work aside and getting into bed. And studying isn't always the problem; they also need to stop scrolling or watching box sets to allow enough time for a good night’s sleep, since blue light and late-night stimulation delay sleep.

Going to bed - how to help your teen get enough sleep

Many teenagers view bedtime as a punishment rather than a reward, as it eats into time they’d rather spend doing something else. So it’s important to help them understand the benefits of a good night’s sleep: better concentration so they get things done quicker, feeling more alert so they take in information more effectively, and more energy to get the most out of their day.

To find the right time to go to sleep, they should work backwards. If they have to get up at 7.00am, they need to be asleep by 11.00pm, which probably means being in bed much earlier; not many of us fall asleep the moment we get into bed. Be firm about bedtime when they’re in their mid-teens. At this stage you can insist they go to bed at the right time, which encourages them to stick to a similar routine when they reach their late teens and it’s not so easy for you to tell them what to do.

Mobiles and screens: setting boundaries at bedtime

Getting enough sleep can be severely impaired by your teen’s ready access to a 24/7 online community via social media, not to mention the compulsion to play games and catch up with box sets late into the night.

Encourage good habits. At least 30 minutes of screen-free time before settling down to sleep is always a good idea. It doesn’t mean doing nothing or taking their phone away; they could listen to audiobooks, podcasts or relaxing music, with the phone closed (so no glare or visual stimulation), and enjoy something relaxing as they drift off. There are timers too, so they don’t need to fret that if they fall asleep their phone will run all night.

Get them to use their mobiles to their advantage. Set phones to bedtime mode during sleeping hours so they’re not distracted by the tempting ping of alerts and messages. The names vary depending on whether they have Android (do not disturb) or Apple (Sleep Focus) phones, but the functionality is similar. It automatically silences most incoming calls and messages at times they set, while allowing exceptions for emergency numbers. They can also use the phone’s night screen settings to reduce glare through the evening (white light on bright screens prevents sleepiness). Establishing good phone habits now will benefit them hugely later in life too.

Healthy phone habits help teens sleep better

Creating rules for the whole family can be an effective way of encouraging boundaries around phone use. When you’re all in it together, they don’t feel singled out. Of course, this means you have to stick to the rules too. For example:

no phones at the table during mealtimes
no phone use when watching TV or films together as a family
no phones before school or work
no phone use after 10.00pm

Creating a routine to help your teen get enough sleep

Creating a bedtime routine, such as switching the phone to silent, putting it away 30 minutes before bed, taking a bath, having a hot drink and dimming the lights, can all help calm the mind and prepare it for sleep. Sticking to a similar routine every night signals to the body that it's time for bed, so try to get your child into the habit of doing the same things before bed and going to sleep at a similar time, especially on week nights.

Encourage your teen to keep a notebook where any worries or important things to do the next day can be jotted down. This stops the mind turning over once the lights go out and fretting about forgetting things.

If they share a room, curtaining off their sleeping area helps give them some personal space.

Practical tips to help get enough sleep

Keeping the room at the right temperature, making sure it's clutter-free, using clean sheets and darkening the room at night are all practical ways to help your teen enjoy better sleep.

Avoid lie-ins

At the other end of the day, try to set a routine so they get up at a similar time each morning and, hard though it may be, limit weekend lie-ins to just an extra hour or so. Long lie-ins disrupt their sleeping rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep at an appropriate time on Sunday night, and consequently harder to wake up on Monday morning.

Where possible, bedtimes and get-up times should be similar from one day to the next, allowing the body to sync to a regular cycle. Make plans for weekend mornings so they have a reason to get up, especially if there aren't school activities or they aren't inclined to organise anything themselves.

Self-reliance builds resilience

If your teen is struggling to get up every morning, encourage them to call the National Sleep Helpline run by the Teen Sleep Hub. This UK charity has lots of resources for teens, and your teen may be more likely to act on advice from an independent source than a close family member, even if the advice is exactly the same.

Empowering your teen to take charge of their own behaviours should also help boost their confidence. It's good for them to know they can solve problems for themselves by taking steps towards solutions.

Don't make it a battle

It’s not easy telling teens what to do. It might be possible to put your foot down with younger teens and insist on certain behaviours at bedtime (such as phones off), but this may not work with older teens. However, if you can be firm about bedtime and winding down when they’re in their mid-teens, there’s a better chance they’ll continue good habits by themselves in future.

Whatever their age, have conversations with your teen about using mobiles sensibly. Try to have these when neither of you is tired or emotional. This avoids heated discussions and you’re much more likely to reach a compromise that suits you both.

Walk your talk

Are you, as their parent, setting a good example? It might be harder for them to get into good sleep patterns if you're not following the advice you give them.