Student Wellbeing

The Importance of Good Sleep Hygiene

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for our overall wellbeing because sleep impacts our mood, emotional regulation, energy levels, concentration and our ability to cope with stressful situations.  

However, many adolescents struggle to get the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Common sleep difficulties include falling asleep, waking up during the night, oversleeping or not feeling rested upon waking. 

Here are 6 tips recommended by the Raising Children Network for improving your sleep

1. Set up regular sleep and wake times

Keep your bedtime and wake-up times within 1-2 hours of each other each day. This helps to keep your internal body clock in a regular pattern. It’s good to do this on weekends and during holidays, as well as on school days.

2. Keep any naps early and short

Try to keep naps to no longer than 20 minutes and no later than early afternoon. Longer and later naps can make it harder to get to sleep at night.

3. Avoid the clock

Move the clock or watch to a spot where you can’t see it from bed.

4. Eat the right amount at the right time

Feeling hungry or too full before bed can make you more alert or uncomfortable making it harder to fall asleep.

5. Avoid caffeine

Caffeine is in energy drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate and cola. Avoid these things in the late afternoon and evening.

6. Reduce device use before bed

Try to avoid devices one to two hours before bed. TV, phones, tablets and laptops can all cause mental stimulation that makes it hard to shut off. The blue light these devices emit can also trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime.

For more information on improving sleep, refer below:

Bahar Huseyin

Student Wellbeing Officer