Ask the experts... teen sleep


For many parents, walking past their teenager’s bedroom in the early hours and seeing lights on or hearing music playing isn’t unfamiliar. But, how do you know when these night-owl sleep habits are starting to cause problems?

Last month, we teamed up with The Sleep Charity, the leading, independent expert voice on sleep issues in the UK, to put all of your teenager’s sleep issues to bed. From tackling mobile phones to perfecting bedtime, read on to help your adolescent get a better night’s sleep...

My teenager finds it hard to go to sleep at night and sleeps until the afternoon if I don’t wake him! Should I leave him to sleep?

It's not uncommon for teenagers to go to bed late. When they hit adolescence, their brain develops and their hormones change. They are biologically more likely to produce the sleep hormone, melatonin, later at night. This shifts their circadian rhythm out of sync so they don’t feel sleepy until the early hours - they can't help that! 

Leaving your teenager to sleep in at weekends will continue to alter their body clock. If they don’t wake up until lunchtime on a weekend, they won't build up enough sleep pressure during the day to go to bed at a reasonable hour the next day. Letting this happen for a prolonged period can lead to something called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. Trying to keep to a regular bedtime and wake up time will really help to strengthen his internal body clock.

I have three teenagers and trying to sort out when they go to bed is a nightmare! Is there a recommended time for them to go to bed?

The recommended sleep for a 12-year-old is between 9 to 11 hours and for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17, it’s 8 to 10 hours. But, this is only a guide and you should base their bedtimes off of how they feel in the day. The most important thing to consider is that your teenagers’ sleep/wake times are almost the same every day. If they have late bedtimes and wake times at the weekend it can impact the internal sleep body clock and make getting up for school or college difficult. 

My daughter dreads going to sleep because of the nightmare she has suddenly started to experience. What can I do?

Nightmares are so common. It can be useful to talk to her about any worries she might be having a while before bedtime so that these thoughts are not stopping her from sleeping or causing disruption. 

Before going to bed, you should consider your daughter’s sleep hygiene. Does she wind down before going to bed? If not you could try a warm bath, reading or breathing techniques. Also, if there is potential for there to be unfamiliar sounds when she is sleeping it might be worth using some white/pink noise to stabilise her bedroom. These techniques can be implemented to help her get back to sleep after a nightmare too.

It’s impossible to stop my teenager from using her phone before bed. What’s your advice?

Teenagers are desperate to be on their mobile phones which can become difficult for parents. You could try asking her to turn her phone off at a certain time instead of removing it completely or agree on a place downstairs where the phone can be kept. Ideally, you want to remove the phone an hour before she goes to bed, maybe she could read, colour or do a jigsaw instead? If she is using her phone to ‘unwind’ - listening to music or white noise - you could suggest that she uses a speaker. 

Introducing some kind of reward system for turning the phone off or handing it to you might be a good place to start!  

If you feel like you need some extra advice, here are some events and resources that might help: 

The Sleep Charity has a great resource for teens. Here, teens can download the free eBook and it explains to them more about sleep and why they don't feel sleepy. Parents may find the website useful too.

Dr Verena Senn, Head of Sleep Research at Emma: The Sleep Company is hosting a talkhealth webinar on Wednesday 30 June (13:00). If you want to find out more about the science of sleep, sign up today! 

Our talksleep hub and mysleep support programme are always open for teens and adults who need some extra sleep support! 

Information contained in this Articles page has been written by talkhealth based on available medical evidence. The content however should never be considered a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek medical advice before changing your treatment routine. talkhealth does not endorse any specific products, brands or treatments.

Information written by the talkhealth team

Last revised: 1 June 2021
Next review: 1 June 2024