The Importance of Sleep

It’s a well-known fact that sleep is incredibly important for everyone. Sleep is the body’s chance to rest and reset for the next day. For young people, sleep is especially important because their bodies are going through their formative years and need recovery in order to change and develop. Despite sleep being so important for young people, good sleep patterns are often resisted due to a variety of reasons such as screens and social media, worrying/racing minds, and other distractions.  So how can parents and carers support their children to have better sleep patterns?

Maintain Routine

It can be difficult to go to sleep at the same time every night, however maintaining some routine is important so that the brain knows when to relax and prepare for rest. It can be a good idea to have a limit to how late your child can stay up for, and they can choose to go to bed before or on that time. A pre-bed routine is also helpful for a good sleep, and can include brushing teeth, reading a chapter of a book or listening to a relaxing podcast. Every person is different, but young people should be aiming for at least 8 hours of sleep per night. A good sleep routine also includes waking up at a reasonable time each morning. Remind your child that while it may be difficult at first, their body clock will adjust, and it will get easier.

Avoid Stimuli

Avoiding screens is extremely important and we should not be looking at phone, television or computer screens for at least one hour before bed. This is because screens stimulate us, not relax us. Screentime reduces the quality of our sleep and does not allow us to wind-down properly.

Other common stimuli can include caffeine and energy drinks. These should be limited and not consumed during the afternoon or night.

Create a Good Environment

Young people will sleep easier if they are in a comfortable, tidy environment. It is also a good idea to encourage your children not to do homework on their bed. Their bed is supposed to be a place of rest and relaxation, and it can be harder to switch off if they have spent all afternoon working on it.  

Check-in Before Bed

Sometimes young people can struggle to sleep due to stress. There are many worries that can keep young people up at night – from social issues such as friendships and bullying, to school issues such as assignment stress. It can be helpful to check-in before bed and offer comfort or advice if they need it.

If you are worried about your child’s sleep, check in with their GP to discuss this further. For more information, read this with your child:https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/get-enough-sleep/.