Why Sleep is Essential for Teen’s Health and Well-being

2nd September 2024 0 Comments

Sleep is a fundamental pillar of health at any age, but it’s especially critical during the teenage years. Adolescence is a period of rapid growth and development—physically, mentally, and emotionally—and quality sleep plays a vital role in supporting this transformation. Let’s dive into why sleep is so essential for teenagers and the lasting impact it has on their lives.

teenager not sleeping

Sleep Boosts Cognitive Function and Academic Achievement

A well-rested brain is sharper and more capable of processing information. Quality sleep enhances memory, focus, and problem-solving skills, all of which are critical for academic performance. Whether it’s preparing for an exam, learning a new skill, or mastering an instrument, sleep helps teens absorb and retain information better.

Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, can lead to drowsiness, lack of concentration, and poor academic performance. Teens who don’t get enough sleep often struggle to stay alert and engaged in class, which can have long-term consequences on their education and career prospects.

Sleep Supports Emotional Wellbeing

We’ve all experienced how a bad night’s sleep can affect our mood. For teens, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to irritability, mood swings, and even serious mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Teenagers are navigating new social relationships, increased responsibilities, and more independence, and insufficient sleep can make these challenges harder to manage.

Numerous studies clarify how prolonged sleep loss means teens miss out on the benefits of soothing REM sleep and could be more prone to emotional dysregulation and risky behaviours. Ensuring they get enough sleep is one way to promote emotional resilience and mental well-being.

Sleep Reduces Risky and Sensation-Seeking Behaviours

A lack of sleep could impact the development of the brain’s frontal lobe, the area responsible for controlling impulsive behaviour and decision-making. Sleep-deprived teens are more likely to engage in high-risk activities, such as texting while driving, not wearing seat belts or substance abuse. These behaviours not only put their health at risk but can also result in serious accidents and injuries.

Behavioural problems can have widespread effects on a teenager’s life, putting both their safety and relationships with family and friends in jeopardy.

Sleep Helps to Prevent Accidents and Injuries

One of the most concerning effects of sleep deprivation in teens is the increased risk of accidents, especially when driving. Sleep loss reduces reaction times in a way that’s comparable to being under the influence of alcohol. When combined with a lack of driving experience and distractions like texting, sleep-deprived teens are at a heightened risk for car accidents and other serious injuries.

Sleep Promotes Physical Health and Development

Teenagers undergo significant physical growth, and sleep is essential for supporting this process. Sleep helps the body recover, repair tissues, and build muscle, all while regulating important hormones.

Researchers found adolescents who consistently miss out on sleep have troubling disruptions in their metabolism, cardiovascular health, and immune system.

The Weekend Catch-Up Myth

Many teens think they can make up for lost sleep by sleeping in on weekends, but this isn’t the case. Studies show that even an afternoon nap or extra weekend sleep doesn’t fully compensate for chronic sleep deprivation. Teens need a consistent 9 hours of sleep each night to truly support their development.

Prioritise Sleep for Health and Well-Being

Sleep is not just about rest; it’s a crucial component of a teenager’s mental, emotional, and physical health. By making sleep a priority, teens can boost their academic performance, improve their emotional stability, reduce risky behaviours, and support their overall growth and development.

Encouraging healthy sleep habits in teens will help them to thrive during this critical stage of life.

For more on teens sleep, see our blogs on:

This blog was written by Mandy Gurney RGN.RM.Dip HV

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When feeling overwhelmed by tiredness and in need of real sleep help, Millpond’s ‘Teach Your Child to Sleep’ is a much welcomed, well researched resource. This is an easy read with a practical nurturing approach that walks you and your child through to a good night sleep.
Rozanne Hay, UK Representative and Director for Continuing Education IACSC International Association Of Child Sleep consultants
The Millpond approach is non-prescriptive and [their] book offers lots of choices for parents to match their own goals and parenting styles. I would heartily recommend it for anyone already experiencing problems with sleep or to set up good sleep habits proactively.
Melissa Hood, founder of The Parent Practice
This baby and child sleep guide is the perfect combination of accessible science, Mandy’s years of experience and a mother’s warmth. I love the way things fall into place with Mandy’s clear and thorough explanations!
Diana Hill, co founder of Essential Parent
Millpond’s brilliant blend of commonsense, encouragement and understanding – plus a highly logical strategy that is easy to implement – changed hell into heaven literally overnight. My entire family is thus indebted to Mandy and her team.
Freya North, Author
I am a GP and would recommend Millpond to any sleep deprived parents; you cannot put a price on sleep. Thank you so much. I only wish I hadn’t waited 19 months.
Vanessa, GP
We are so happy that we put our trust in you to help us with what has been a huge problem for our family for almost 2 years. We are finding time to relax and time for each other and I did not realise how much we missed this time.
Ben
As a family, we were sleep deprived. The tailored plan for our son made it personal. I am really pleased with what we’ve achieved during the programme and I am thankful to Juliet and Millpond.
Evrim.
We were at rock bottom. Our son has a neurological condition, so I was nervous and and wanted a sleep clinic who had experience of this and would adapt to the needs of our son. Our lives literally changed overnight!
Shurron
Within weeks our son was waking only once a night. The investment we made into Millpond was one of the best we’ve ever made. It gave my son a solid night sleep and consistency. It gave me and my husband our sanity back.
Shurron
I am delighted. I was aiming to go from 6+ wakes at night and feeding to sleep 100% of the time to 1-2 wake ups and some ability to self-settle. After doing the plan for less than 6 weeks my daughter started sleeping through the night.
Katie
My daughter is now having quite a bit more than the average sleep for her age and it’s lovely to see her waking up naturally. I’m also waking up naturally and feeling much more refreshed for having a regular sleep routine myself!
Louise
We are so happy we could jump for joy, we wish we had spoken to you ages ago. Using Millpond has built our confidence and made us feel on top of it at last. You really gave us some life back!
Sarah
I live in Switzerland so it is really quite remarkable that Millpond was able to help me over the phone and by email. When you have slept you can deal with anything!!
Melanie
We still can’t believe that such small changes have made such a difference to us and Alice. She has even slept through while on holiday in a travel cot.
Louise
We are just so sorry we did not get in touch sooner as we went through 18 months of no sleep.
Ann Marie
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! We never thought life could be improved so greatly. You showed us the light. Luka is much happier and loving his sleep now.!
Diane
Alex is sleeping beautifully again and is now quite happy to lay in his cot singing until 7.30/745 am ( Godsend!) and sleeps very happily through the night again. Thank you so much!
Sandy
Very happy to say that Joshua, who you helped us with, is now sleeping a regular 11 hours a night uninterrupted. In fact, getting him up some mornings is a real challenge!
John
Mandy has been an absolute saviour at a time which was starting to feel quite bleak in terms of our little one’s sleep. The personalised advice and guidance has been invaluable.
Mary
“My husband and I reached out to the Millpond Sleep Clinic when our son was 10 months old. We had spent months in vain trying a variety of sleep training tips that we had picked up online, in a desperate attempt to get our son to sleep for more than 2 hour stretches! Nothing seemed to work. I remember crying whilst breastfeeding for the 5th time one evening, desperately begging my little one to sleep. We felt like we had been failing for a long time, as my circle of mum friends had all got their babies sleeping through so much earlier. I needed to get more sleep, with the return to work looming ever closer.

When we called Millpond, we were quickly introduced to Juliet who immediately took the pressure off us by providing a detailed “plan of action” based on what she had heard about our son’s sleep routine. After just a few nights, we already started to see big sleep improvements, and we worked confidently towards reducing our son’s night wakings and the duration of his night feeds. After a couple of weeks we had gone from 4-5 night wakings to just 1… and a few weeks later, our son started to sleep through! The biggest relief ever.

Throughout the whole process Juliet had been knowledgeable, kind, reassuring and made herself available to answer our questions over email between our sessions. Her experience as a mother herself, and highly trained sleep professional shone through. We can’t thank you enough for helping us through a rough time – and seeing us through to better days (and importantly, nights!!)
Cheryl