As we get older, we realize how much we took for granted quality sleep. Although we may think that going to bed early is “lame” and want to stay up longer, it’s important we get sufficient sleep at a young age. Research has shown that teenagers need about 8-10 hours of sleep every night, yet the average sleep they actually get is around 6.5-7.5 hours. So big deal we don’t get enough sleep and may feel sleepy in the morning. Wrong. Sleep is such an important factor in our health in both mental and physical aspects. Insufficient sleep can actually have dramatic effects on mental well being and lower academic performance. For us that play sports, it can lower our performance and even cause us to become more clumsy than usual! The list goes on and on about how sleep will drastically have an impact on our bodies. It is time to change our negative perspective of sleep and avoid staying up late. Our bodies need 8-10 hours of sleep so going to bed early will allow us to achieve this “magic number”. 

So how exactly can we make a change in order to increase our sleep? There are simple changes we can make to our routine to help get more and better quality sleep. One easy way can be putting away our devices around bedtime. There is plenty of research showcasing how our phones/tv/tablets can have a negative effect on the quality of our sleep and falling asleep. Putting away our smart devices an hour before bed can increase our sleep by at least 21 minutes. I know 21 minutes does not sound like a dramatic change but just think about waking up in the morning hitting the snooze button wanting at least 10 more minutes. Instead, by putting away our smart devices, we receive double that!

Another easy change is to avoid stimulants during the evening time. Some common stimulants include coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks. I know by the end of the day we may be feeling tired and need a “pick me up,” but instead we can either take a short nap or plan on going to bed earlier. Stimulants will cause it to be harder to fall asleep later at night. This causes us to fall into a repetitive cycle of going to bed late, waking up early and tired, getting tired midday, consuming a stimulant, and going to bed late. This cycle will go on and on unless we cut out the middleman: stimulants.

A third simple tip if we want to start going to bed early is to try going to sleep 10 minutes before our usual bedtime. If we start with a small change versus a bigger change it will allow our body to adjust. Repeating this every week will help this become the norm. After our bodies are used to those 10 minutes every week we can add an extra 10. You can do this until your desired time is achieved. By starting off slow it also reduces the chances of us quitting because all we do is toss and turn not being able to fall asleep. Avoid staying up super late during the weekends because this will undo all the work you did. If you have trouble falling asleep early a tip is to engage in physical activities earlier in the day so your body is tired by bedtime.

Hopefully, you are able to make some changes in your sleep schedule to increase your quality of sleep. You will feel much more energized during the day but also help improve your mental health. In general, sleep is great for your body so it’s important we receive an adequate amount every night. 

This blog was written for Healthy Young Nevada by Jennifer, an intern at Immunize Nevada.

Resources:

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep#top-sleep-tips-for-teenagers

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/healthy-sleep-habits-for-older-children-and-teens