Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important things for your health, but it’s often overlooked—especially when you’ve got school, social life, and screens keeping you up late. As a teenager, your body and brain are going through huge changes, and getting enough sleep is essential to keep up with them.
You need around 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night to function at your best. Sleep isn’t just about resting—it helps your brain process everything you’ve learned, improves your memory, and keeps you focused during lessons and extracurricular activities. It also plays a big role in regulating your emotions, helping you manage stress and lowering the risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
But let’s be real—getting enough sleep isn’t always easy. Schoolwork, social life, and late-night scrolling on your phone can all make it harder to get the rest you need. When you don’t get enough sleep, you might find it harder to concentrate, feel more irritable, and even get sick more often. Lack of sleep can also affect your energy levels and overall health.
If you want to feel your best, prioritising sleep is key. Try to create a bedtime routine, limit screen time before bed, and aim for a consistent sleep schedule—even on weekends. Your future self will thank you!
When should you worry?
Advice and Guidance
What is sleep?
Sleep isn’t just about closing your eyes and waking up refreshed—your body goes through several important stages while you rest. These stages help your body and brain repair, recharge, and function properly. Over the course of the night, your sleep is made up of several cycles, with each cycle containing four different stages.
Stage 1 (N1) – Light Sleep
This is the first stage of sleep, lasting only about one to seven minutes. Your body starts to relax, and brain activity begins to slow down, but you can still be woken up easily. If you’re not disturbed, you’ll quickly move into the next stage. As the night goes on, you spend less time in this stage.
Stage 2 (N2) – Deeper Relaxation
In this stage, your body temperature drops, your breathing and heart rate slow down, and your muscles relax. Your brain waves also slow, but short bursts of activity help you stay asleep despite noises or other distractions. You’ll spend about half of your total sleep time in this stage, and as the night progresses, N2 sleep lasts longer.
Stage 3 (N3) – Deep Sleep
This stage is also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS) or delta sleep because of the deep, slow brain waves that happen here. It’s the stage where your body repairs itself—muscles recover, tissues grow, and your immune system strengthens. Your pulse and breathing slow down even more, and it’s much harder to wake up from this stage. Deep sleep is also linked to memory, creativity, and problem-solving.
You spend the most time in deep sleep during the first half of the night. These stages usually last 20 to 40 minutes early in the night, but as you sleep longer, deep sleep gets shorter, and more time is spent in the final stage—REM sleep.
Each of these stages plays a role in helping you feel rested, focused, and healthy. Making sure you get enough quality sleep will help you perform better in school, sports, and everyday life. So, if you want to wake up feeling your best, prioritise your sleep!
When is the best time to get good sleep?
6-12 years : 9-12 hours per 24 hours
13-18 years : 8-10 hours per 24 hours
Adults : 7 or more hours a night
These are suggested quantities of sleep for different age groups, however different people will need different amounts of sleep so take these times as an approximate guideline and listen to your body to find what works best for you.
To help find an appropriate time to go to bed, work backwards from the time you need to get up in the morning. For example, Isaac has to get up for college and at 7:00 am, they know that their body needs 8 and a half hours of sleep, so they need to be in bed (ready to sleep) at 10:30 pm. Isaac might choose to go up to bed at 10:00 pm to ensure he has enough time to get ready for bed so they can turn their lights out at 10:30pm.
What does good sleep look like?
If your body has cycled through all sleep stages as many times as it needs to, you should:
- Wake up refreshed
- Feel clear-headed and capable of paying attention
- Look well-rested
- Feel in a good mood
- Have enough energy to get you through the day
Quantity vs. Quality: What’s the Difference?
Healthy sleep requires more than just sleeping for a certain number of hours. Sleep quantity is important, but for sleep to be satisfying and refreshing, it must also be of high quality – that is, without interruptions that disrupt the sleep cycle.
Sleep Duration
Sleep duration is the amount of sleep you get over the course of a night. Exactly how much sleep is necessary can vary from person to person and may change depending on life circumstances. For example, if you are pregnant, sick, or in the midst of a particularly demanding week, you might need more sleep than usual.
Not getting the sleep your body needs can lead to sleep debt and can affect your health, mood, relationships, and your performance at work or school.
Sleep Continuity
One of the primary markers of sleep quality is sleep continuity, your ability to sleep continuously so that you can effectively cycle through all stages of sleep. Sleep disruptions might cause you to wake up and have trouble falling back asleep, but they can also be subtle enough that you don’t remember them in the morning. Common sources of sleep disruptions include:
- Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome
- Pain or discomfort
- Caregiving responsibilities
- Night sweats
- A noisy, bright, or hot sleep environment
- Snoring or movement of a bed partner
- Nighttime bathroom trips
Sleep continuity is vital to healthy sleep. Without it, you might have trouble waking up in the morning or feeling energized throughout the day, even if you’ve spent plenty of time in bed.
How can a bad night’s sleep be detrimental?
A bad night's sleep can have serious repercussions for teenagers, who are at a critical stage of growth and development. The immediate effects of insufficient sleep include decreased cognitive performance, which can impact learning, memory, and decision-making abilities. Teenagers who consistently miss out on adequate sleep may also experience heightened emotional responses, making it difficult to manage stress and regulate mood effectively. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to long-term health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular issues, as well as an increased risk of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Recognizing the detrimental impacts of poor sleep is crucial for fostering healthy sleep habits among teenagers, promoting their academic success, emotional stability, and overall well-being.
Physical symptoms
- Poor concentration
- Dark areas under eyes.
- Lack of energy
- Weakened immune system
- Fatigue.
- Irritability.
- Changes in mood.
- Falls asleep when you don’t want to.
- Headaches
- Changes to appetite
- (16 -18) decrease in sex drive.
- (16-18) Difficulty driving.
Long term effects could include an increased risk of:
- Heart disease
- Kidney disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
Thoughts and feelings
You may experience unhelpful thoughts or feelings for example;
- I’m never going to be able to get to sleep!
- I don’t have time to go to sleep. I need to revise for my exam.
- I won’t be able to concentrate tomorrow at school if I don’t sleep.
- I’m going to fail my test tomorrow.
- If I go to sleep now I’ll only get 3 hours sleep.
- I’m worried about an argument I had with a friend at school today.
- I feel sad about my argument with my friend
- I’m happy i can get my revision done by not going to sleep
- I feel worried about my exam
Behaviours
- I kept looking at the clock to see what time it was during the night.
- I shouted at my parents for trying to wake me up for school.
- I fell asleep during a lesson.
- I couldn’t concentrate on my school work so I didn’t finish it on time.
- I missed my swimming class because I was too tired.
- I did not do my homework when I got back from school because I was too tired.
Tips for sleep
Check your bedroom
- Check it is not too hot or too cold.
- Make sure it’s dark – draw the curtains, have a dim night light on if you don’t want it completely dark.
- Ensure your room is calm, comfortable and tidy.
- Avoid using devices at least 1 hr before bedtime this includes, mobile phones, tablets and TVs as devices can give off ‘blue light’ which keeps us awake by disrupting Melatonin in the brain.
- Establish a bedtime routine that you can stick to every evening
- Avoid drinking too much before bed (especially drinks with caffeine in like tea, coffee and fizzy drinks)
- Don’t exercise too closely to your bedtime – try and exercise in the daytime.
- Try not to nap during the day.
- Don’t eat a large meal before bed, instead try a light snack like a banana and a warm milky drink to prevent you feeling hungry during the night.
- (16-18) Avoid drugs and alcohol before bed.
- It can be difficult to sleep at times when we are worrying.
Things that can help
- Talk to an adult about your worries.
- Write your worries down before bedtime.
- Do something relaxing before bed such as reading or colouring.
- Avoid looking at the clock to see what time it is.
Self care and Prevention
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