Sleep

Sleep is an essential part of day to day life. Sleep is something we all need to keep healthy and happy.

As children get older, their need for sleep changes, and when they like to sleep changes too. It is normal to want to stay up late and get up late when you are a teenager. But you still need to get enough sleep, while fitting in your day at work or school.  

Instant expert: Teenagers need more sleep than adults. Find out all about teenage sleep in this guide.

How many hours of sleep should you be getting?

It is recommended that teenagers should get 8-10 hours of sleep a night. But some people need more or less. 

The need for sleep changes over your lifetime. It also depends on what you're doing and how tired you're getting. If you are learning a lot, or growing a lot, you may find you need more sleep.

Instant expert: Almost everyone gets insomnia sometimes. But do you have a sleep problem? Get information, better sleep tips and take the sleep problem test on the NHS website.

What are the benefits of sleep?

There are lots of benefits of getting the right amount of sleep. Some of them are well known, like helping you stay calm and concentrate. Others are less well known, like:

• Improving memory
• Helping keep you a healthy weight
• Reducing risk of injury and accident

People who are sleep deprived over long periods of time get serious health problems. As well as feeling tired, they are at risk of accidents and mistakes. Serious impacts of sleep deprivation include: heart disease, diabetes, serious mental health problems and more.

Crucial: Sleeping too much can also be a sign of other health problems. If you find that sleepiness is causing you problems, then you need to talk to your GP.

Should you worry if you do not get enough sleep?

Occasional lack of sleep is normal and happens to everybody. 

But if you're missing sleep regularly you might start to feel stressed or tense, lose concentration, be more unhappy and more at risk of injury and accidents. 

Take action: Improve your sleep with these tips for on how to get a good night sleep from the Teen Sleep Hub. 

If problems with your sleep are causing you to struggle with relationships, work or study, then you should speak with your GP.

Hints and tips to help with sleeping

This video is about how parents and children can work together to improve their sleep, and how important this is for children with ADHD or autism, and  those who may have more difficulty sleeping.

Guard your sleep!

Your sleep is very important. If you're not getting enough sleep you are likely to get stressed, unhappy, and make poor decisions.

Young people who don't get enough sleep are also at risk of making risky decisions or being persuaded to do things that are unsafe or bad for them. 

Many young people struggle with pausing conversations overnight, especially with a new friend or someone important. But your sleep matters, and so does theirs. 

Crucial: If you find that someone is insisting on communicating with you a lot, or late at night, or when you don't want to message them, then you should tell a trusted adult right away. Find out more about Online Safety, Abuse and Relationship Abuse.