Resetting the clock

If your teen isn't getting enough sleep, there are a few things you can try that might help. For example:

• Stick to a schedule. Encourage your teen to keep weekday and weekend bedtimes and wake times within one hour of each other. Sleeping in on the weekends makes it more likely that your teen will have trouble falling asleep at night.
• Avoid long naps. If your teen is drowsy during the day, a midafternoon nap of no more than 30 minutes might help. But if your teen has trouble falling asleep at night, napping can worsen the problem.
• Be active. Exercise may help your teen fall asleep at night and sleep more deeply.
• Get outside. Regular exposure to sunlight can help keep your teen's internal clock on track.
• Curb the caffeine. Encourage your teen to avoid caffeine after 3 p.m. Caffeine can interfere with a good night's sleep.
• Avoid heavy eating shortly before bedtime. If your teen is hungry, a light snack before bedtime is best.
• Know when to unplug. Have your teen put away all screen-based devices in the half-hour before bedtime. Youth screen time is linked with delayed bedtimes and less total sleep time. Screen-based light also can increase your teen's alertness and decrease sleepiness before bedtime. To prevent the devices from waking up your teen in the middle of the night, keep them out of your teen's bedroom.
• Keep it calm. Encourage your teen to wind down 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime by taking a warm shower, reading a book or listening to calm music.

Don't allow your teen to use sleeping pills or nonprescription sleep aids unless they are recommended by a doctor. Some sleep medications can be dangerous, and sleep problems often return when medication use stops.