Sleep Hygiene

Summary

What is sleep and why is it important?

Everyone needs sleep! Sleep gives your body and brain time to rest, recover and process what has happened during the day. It is particularly important for children and teenagers because sleep supports growth, learning, memory, emotional regulation and brain development. The amount of sleep we need changes as we get older, and there is no single amount that works perfectly for everyone. Experts currently recommend that:

  • Children aged 3–5: around 10–13 hours of sleep per day, including naps.
  • Children aged 6–12: around 9–12 hours of sleep each night.
  • Teenagers aged 13–18: around 8–10 hours of sleep each night.

It is very common for young people to experience difficulties with sleep at some point in their lives. This might involve finding it difficult to fall asleep, waking during the night, waking up very early or feeling tired during the day. Certain medical conditions, medications, mental health difficulties and changes in routine can also make it harder to get to sleep or stay asleep.

Getting a good night’s sleep

There are lots of small things that can help your body and brain recognise when it is time to sleep:

  • Keep your bedroom cool and comfortable. If your room is too warm, it can make it harder to fall asleep or cause you to wake during the night.
  • Keep your room as dark as feels comfortable. If complete darkness makes you feel unsafe, using a nightlight is absolutely okay.
  • Try to keep your bedtime and waking time fairly consistent. A regular routine can help your body clock know when it is time to feel sleepy and when it is time to wake up.
  • If you need a daytime nap, keep it short. Around 20 minutes can provide a boost without making it harder to sleep at night.
  • Avoid large meals close to bedtime. Having a lighter snack if you’re hungry is okay, but a very large meal immediately before bed may make it harder to settle.
  • Be mindful of caffeine. Caffeine can stay in your system for several hours, so avoiding caffeinated drinks later in the day may help your sleep.
  • Give yourself some screen-free time before bed. Try putting phones, tablets and other screens away around 30 minutes before going to sleep if you can. Screens can also be stimulating and make it tempting to stay awake longer.
  • Create a calming wind-down routine. This could include reading, listening to quiet music, having a warm shower, stretching, colouring or doing something else that helps your brain recognise that the day is coming to an end.
  • Make your bedroom a place for rest. Where possible, try to keep homework, stressful conversations and other stimulating activities outside of your bed.
  • Try not to put too much pressure on sleep

Sometimes worrying about sleep can make sleep harder. You might find yourself thinking:

  • “Why can’t I fall asleep?”
  • “Am I getting enough sleep?”
  • “Why am I not tired?”
  • “I’m going to be exhausted tomorrow.”

The more we monitor and worry about whether we are sleeping, the more alert our brain can become. One bad night’s sleep isn’t a disaster, and you don’t need to force yourself to fall asleep. If you’re lying awake and becoming increasingly frustrated, it can sometimes help to get up for a little while and do something calm in low light, then return to bed when you feel sleepier.

How to help myself

If you’re struggling with sleep, try to focus on building a routine rather than trying to force yourself to sleep. Keeping your bedtime and waking time fairly consistent can help your body clock settle into a predictable pattern. Getting some natural daylight and movement during the day can also help your body recognise the difference between daytime and nighttime.

Create a wind-down period before bed where you gradually move away from stimulating activities. You might dim the lights, put your phone away, have a shower, read, listen to calming music or do something creative. Your routine doesn’t need to be perfect — finding a few things that feel relaxing and doing them regularly can be enough.

Make your bedroom comfortable and sleep-friendly. Keep it cool and as dark as feels comfortable, and reduce noise where possible. If complete darkness makes you uncomfortable, a nightlight is absolutely fine. Try to keep your bed associated with sleep and rest rather than using it for lots of stimulating activities.

If you can’t sleep, try not to panic about it. Thoughts like “I need to fall asleep now” or “I’m going to be exhausted tomorrow” can increase anxiety and make it harder to relax. Remind yourself that resting quietly is still better than nothing and that one poor night’s sleep doesn’t mean something is wrong. If you’re lying awake for a while and becoming frustrated, get up and do something quiet in low light until you feel sleepy again.

Be mindful of things that can interfere with sleep, including caffeine, energy drinks, large meals close to bedtime and long daytime naps. If you nap, keeping it relatively short can make it less likely to interfere with your nighttime sleep. Try to notice what affects your sleep rather than following every sleep rule perfectly.

It can also help to keep a simple sleep diary for a short period if you’re unsure what is affecting your sleep. You could record roughly when you went to bed, when you woke up, naps, caffeine and how rested you felt. This can help you spot patterns without needing to obsessively monitor every minute of sleep.

If sleep problems are happening regularly, lasting for a long time or significantly affecting your mood, concentration, school or everyday life, talk to a parent or carer, GP, school nurse or another healthcare professional. They can help identify whether there is an underlying reason for the difficulty and what support might be appropriate.

How to help a loved one

If someone you care about is struggling with sleep, try to understand what might be making sleep difficult rather than simply telling them to “go to bed earlier.” Sleep problems can be caused by stress, anxiety, changes in routine, physical health difficulties, medication or lots of other things. Ask them what their nights are like and what they find most difficult.

You can help them create a consistent and calming routine. This might involve keeping similar bed and waking times, reducing stimulating activities before bed and creating a comfortable bedroom environment. You could help them find relaxing activities they enjoy, such as reading, listening to music, having a warm shower or doing something quiet together before bedtime.

Try not to put pressure on them to sleep. Comments such as “You need to sleep now” or repeatedly asking whether they’re tired can sometimes increase anxiety about sleep. Instead, remind them that it’s okay to have an occasional bad night and that they don’t need to force themselves to fall asleep. If they’re awake and becoming frustrated, encourage them to do something calm for a while and return to bed when they feel sleepy.

Support healthy daytime routines too. Spending time outside, getting some daylight, eating regularly and doing some physical activity can all support sleep. If they are napping during the day, you could gently encourage shorter naps if long naps seem to be making nighttime sleep more difficult.

If they’re experiencing anxiety about sleep, listen to their worries rather than dismissing them. Reassure them that one poor night’s sleep doesn’t mean they won’t cope the next day. You could help them challenge thoughts such as “I’ll never sleep” or “I’ll be completely exhausted tomorrow” by reminding them that sleep naturally varies and their body will eventually get the rest it needs.

If sleep difficulties are persistent or significantly affecting their mood, concentration, school, work or everyday life, encourage them to speak to a GP, school nurse, health visitor or another healthcare professional. You could offer to help them make an appointment or go with them if they’d find that helpful.

Finally, look after your own sleep too. If you’re sharing a bedroom or caring for someone who is awake frequently during the night, their sleep difficulties can affect you as well. Supporting them doesn’t mean you have to be awake all night or solve the problem yourself.

Myth Buster

Myth: “Sleep only affects how tired you feel.”

Truth: Sleep can have a big impact on your mental and physical wellbeing, not just your energy levels. Poor sleep can affect concentration, memory, mood and emotional regulation. In a YouGov survey of 2,412 teenagers, 66% said that sleeping badly had a negative effect on their mental health.

Myth: “Your brain switches off when you sleep.”

Truth: Your brain is actually very busy while you sleep! Sleep gives your brain time to process information, support memory and carry out important maintenance processes. During sleep, the brain also helps clear away waste products and old or worn-out cells, helping it function properly when you wake up.

Myth: “Sleep doesn’t affect your immune system.”

Truth: Sleep plays an important role in supporting your immune system. While you sleep, your body carries out processes that help support the cells and proteins involved in fighting infections. Regularly getting too little sleep can affect how well your immune system functions, which may make it harder for your body to respond to illness.

Myth: “Humans are the only animals that need to sleep in one big block.”

Truth: Animals have developed some seriously weird and wonderful ways of sleeping! Dolphins and some whales can sleep with one half of their brain at a time, while the other half remains more alert. This allows them to continue surfacing to breathe and remain aware of their surroundings while they rest.

Therapy

Therapy for sleep difficulties can help you understand what is affecting your sleep and develop habits and strategies that support better rest. The most appropriate approach will depend on what is causing the sleep problem and whether there are other difficulties, such as anxiety or low mood.

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) – A structured therapy that helps identify thoughts and behaviours that may be keeping you awake. It can support healthier sleep habits, reduce anxiety around sleep and help rebuild a more consistent sleep pattern.
  • CBT – Can help when sleep difficulties are connected to anxiety, depression or unhelpful thoughts. It can address worries such as “I’ll never sleep” or “I won’t cope tomorrow”, which can increase arousal and make falling asleep harder.
  • Relaxation-based approaches – Teach techniques such as breathing exercises, muscle relaxation and mindfulness to help the body and mind become calmer before sleep.
  • Mindfulness-based approaches – Help someone notice thoughts and physical sensations without becoming caught up in them. This can be particularly useful when someone spends a lot of time worrying or thinking while trying to sleep.
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Can help someone change their relationship with difficult thoughts about sleep rather than fighting them. The focus is on accepting that some nights may be difficult while continuing to engage in meaningful daytime activities.
  • Family-based support – For children and young people, working with parents or carers can help establish consistent routines, identify factors affecting sleep and reduce conflict or anxiety around bedtime.
  • Sleep education and behavioural strategies – A professional may provide guidance around sleep routines, daytime naps, caffeine, screen use, the bedroom environment and other factors that can influence sleep.

Helplines

Mind

Mind is a mental health charity providing information, advice and support for people experiencing mental health difficulties. They cover a wide range of mental health and wellbeing issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, relationships, loneliness, coping with difficult experiences and managing everyday life. Mind provides information to help people understand what they are experiencing, know their rights, find appropriate support and feel less alone.

Phone: 0300 123 3393
Opening times: 9am–6pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays)
Email: info@mind.org.uk
Website: www.mind.org.uk

YoungMinds

YoungMinds is a national charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. They provide information, advice and support for parents and carers who are concerned about a young person’s mental health, and help people understand mental health difficulties, find appropriate support and access useful resources. Their Parents Helpline can provide information, advice, emotional support and signposting to other services. 

Parent helpline: 0808 802 5544 (9:30 am – 4 pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and from 9:30 am – 6 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Email: parents@youngminds.org.uk
Webchat: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline/

Childline
Childline is a free service for young people to talk to a counsellor about anything. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Childline is available to anybody who is 18 years old or younger.

Phone: 0800 1111
Opening times: Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
You can also find helpful resources, speak to a counsellor online or send a message on their site.
Website: www.childline.org.uk

For adults concerned about a child, the NSPCC can be contacted 

NSPCC

NSPCC is a children’s charity that works to protect children and prevent abuse and neglect. They provide support and advice for adults about child abuse, neglect, child safety, online safety and children’s mental and emotional wellbeing. 

Phone: 0808 800 5000
Opening times: 10 am–4 pm, Monday–Friday
Email: help@nspcc.org.uk
Email opening times: 11 am–4 pm, 7 days a week
Website: www.nspcc.org.uk

Shout

Shout is a free, confidential text messaging service that provides support to anyone who is struggling to cope. It can help with a wide range of issues, including stress, anxiety, low mood, loneliness, relationship difficulties, bullying, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, feeling overwhelmed and other mental health challenges.

Text: SHOUT to 85258
Opening times: Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Website: www.giveusashout.org

The Mix 

The Mix is a charity providing free information, advice and support for young people on all sorts of issues that can affect their lives and wellbeing. This includes mental health, relationships, money, housing, work and education, drugs and alcohol, bullying, social media, family difficulties and many other challenges. They offer information and practical advice to help young people understand what they are going through, make informed decisions and find further support when they need it. 

Phone: 0808 808 4994
Opening times: 11 am–11 pm, 7 days a week
Website: http://www.themix.org.uk
Crisis Messenger: Text THEMIX to 85258 – available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Samaritans

Samaritans is a charity providing emotional support to anyone who is struggling to cope or needs someone to talk to. They are there for people experiencing all sorts of difficulties, including stress, anxiety, loneliness, relationship or family problems, bereavement, feeling overwhelmed and concerns about mental health or suicide.

Phone: 116 123
Opening times: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Website: http://www.samaritans.org