![]() ![]() Typically, melatonin can be given in for a short amount of time (days, not weeks or months) and in very small doses (0.3 to 0.5 mg) about 3 hours before bedtime.Ĭonsider therapy. ![]() Melatonin may help reset your teen's circadian rhythm back so they can fall asleep at a normal time. Studies have shown it can help people fall asleep faster. If noise outside your teen's bedroom is a problem, turn on a fan, soft music, or nature sounds. This helps your teen's brain connect laying down in bed with sleep. Encourage your teen to reserve their bed for sleep, and avoid doing homework and other daily activities there. If light bothers your teen, put up heavy or blackout curtains.Ĭreate an inviting sleeping space with a comfortable mattress, blankets, and pillows. A cooler room promotes sleep and reduces sweating and itching. Make sure the temperature is cool, but comfortable. Activities like these support a healthier sleep cycle. Engage in relaxing activities in the evenings, such as a warm bath with Epsom salts, reading a book that's not on a screen, meditation, stretching, soft music, journaling, or restorative yoga. Your teen should avoid caffeine after lunchtime. It is important to remember that caffeine can stay in the body for more than 8 hours, depending on a person's metabolism. Food sensitivities or substances that cause indigestion may disrupt your child's sleep because of the close relationship between the gut and the brain. Aim to eat dinner a few hours before bedtime, and offer whole foods that are easier to digest. Having screens right there is tempting and sets kids up for staying up too late. Encourage your teen to put all screens away at least an hour before bedtime, and charge devices outside their bedroom overnight. Even just a tiny bit of blue light coming from an electronic device can stop the release of melatonin. Over time, that can disrupt your teen's natural levels of melatonin, a chemical that tells us we're sleepy. Blue light from phones, computers, tablets, TV, and even nightlights, can trick the brain into thinking that it's daytime. We all need time to relax at the end of the day to help us sleep well. If they are running from one after-school activity to another, they won't be able to finish their homework until later at night. Having too much on their plate can make it difficult for your teen to get enough sleep. Spending some time outdoors each day can also support a healthy sleep-wake cycle.Īvoid overscheduling. ![]() That said, try to avoid sports practices and other types of exercise too late in the evening so there's time to unwind. This may be why sleep deprivation is linked with higher rates of risky behavior such as texting while driving, fighting, substance use, and unsafe sexual behavior in teens.Įncourage daily exercise and time outside. Exercise can help your teen sleep better. Kids of all ages need to move throughout the day and get plenty of physical activity. Lack of sleep can even affect a part of a teen's developing brain that helps control impulses. Difficulty concentrating, paying attention, and remembering things.Not getting enough sleep can lead to all sorts of potential problems, such as: Kids who get enough sleep tend to have healthier immune systems, and better memory, school performance, and mental health. Sleep is vital for everyone, especially growing, developing children and teens. If your doctor thinks your child may have this issue, they will typically order a hemoglobin, ferritin, and/or iron test panel to check. Teens who don't have enough of this mineral may have symptoms such as cramps and involuntary movements in their legs that can wake them up from sleep. Other causes of sleep trouble include health conditions like iron deficiency. Late-night phone and social media use, and sports or other physical activities close to bedtime can also make it more difficult to fall asleep. Teens are dealing with more stress lately, interrupting their rest and recovery at night. Stress, anxiety, and worry are other common reasons for sleep problems. This happens because the growth phase they're in causes their circadian rhythm-the body's internal clock-to reset, delaying their sleep cycle. Rapid body changes, especially in adolescence, can disrupt sleep. Teens often have more trouble falling asleep than when they were younger. Not surprisingly, many teens I talk with report difficulty concentrating at school, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue. This can prevent them from getting the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep they need every night. Many teens have a hard time winding down at bedtime. ![]()
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