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In the run up to bedtime, dim the lights and avoid screen time. Melatonin production is interfered with by screen activities for example watching television or playing on a computer. The light from the screens will stop the melatonin being produced as effectively therefore it is best to avoid these activities in the hour leading up to bedtime.

Even low amounts of ambient light will suppress the production of melatonin which will affect not only sleep but have other health consequences as well.

What about melatonin supplements?

Some people may take melatonin for jet lag or shift work and some sleep disorders like Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome and REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder.

Some children, particularly those on the Autistic spectrum, are prescribed melatonin to help with their sleep issues. Good sleep hygiene should still be maintained as the melatonin will not work as effectively if your child is not comfortable, relaxed and in an appropriate bedroom environment.

Avoid buying melatonin supplements from the internet (they are only available on prescription in the UK). Taking them may disrupt your own natural melatonin production and potentially suppress your ability to produce this important hormone, ultimately making sleep problems worse. If you think you need help with melatonin production, speak to your GP.

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In the run up to bedtime, dim the lights and avoid screen time. Melatonin production is interfered with by screen activities for example watching television or playing on a computer. The light from the screens will stop the melatonin being produced as effectively therefore it is best to avoid these activities in the hour leading up to bedtime.

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Many fizzy drinks contain caffeine (Even the sugar free ones!)

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Some children  can feel worried about going to sleep at night 

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Some children  can feel worried about going to sleep at night 

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This can be due to

*The dark

*Being away from their caregiver

*How safe they feel

Here are some tips which may help.

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Sleep and Anxiety Leaflet final March 2019

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Our dedicated sleep service is here to help.

Alongside our Sleep Tips booklet and relevant guides, we also offer one-to-one support. This involves completing an application form for your child and two weeks' worth of sleep diaries which we'll send out to you as long as you come under our criteria for support.

If you need one-to-one support and are a parent/carer or a professional referring a family with their consent to having sleep support, please click the button below to contact the sleep service.

If you have a question or query about our services please email us at [email protected].

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Sleep tips Our Sleep Tips booklet introduces and explains different techniques for you to try that may improve your child's sleep. It covers ten main topics including bedtime routines, daytime napping, comfort objects and moving bedtime backwards or forwards. It gives lots of illustrated hints and tips for putting the...

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Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT)

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Why is sleep important? - Wellbeing video

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Two or more hours of screen time in the evening can seriously disrupt the melatonin surge needed to fall asleep

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Managing screentime with parental controls

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Managing screentime with parental controls

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Most games consoles have internet access, which means your child can go online and chat with other players or make in-game purchases. On many consoles there are parental controls which allow you to manage which features are available to your child. On some devices you can:

turn off chat functions to stop your child from talking to people they don't know

restrict games based on age

turn off in-game purchases, or set a limit.

Check the website for the console your child has for a parents section and details of features. Some games also allow you to change settings for that individual game.
PlayStation Family Management
On PlayStation consoles you can set up a Family Manager account which allows you to manage different accounts for different children/users. Within this you can manage a range of features, such as restricting communication with other players, restricting content, setting play time controls and set spending limits. See all the features available for PS4 and for PS5.

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If you're worried about what your child's searching for or seeing online, we can help you to set up parental controls and keep them safe.

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Things you can do if sleep is a problem 

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Things you can do if sleep is a problem 

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Pt3. THREE THINGS you can do if sleep is a problem

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Pt 3. Finally, we look at sleep stealers! Yup, these are the things that literally steal our ability to sleep and keep us WIDE awake when we should be resting. We hope you find some good ideas here to put into practice.

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This guide has been developed to help parents understand sleep problems in children with intellectual disability and offers advice on how to improve sleep in all children.

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Teenagers often struggle to wake up easily in the morning. This is not actually due to laziness, but when children become teenagers their sleeping pattern changes to make them want to go to bed later and wake up later. This can make it very difficult to wake up early in the morning.

If you're struggling to wake up in the morning then it's very important you don't go to bed too late and that you set your alarm for reasonable time in the morning and get up at that time seven days per week. If you let yourself sleep in at the weekends, it can encourage your body to go to bed later and wake up later even when you have to go to school.

Some things that can help you get out of bed are:

putting your clock or mobile phone on the other side of the room, so you have to physically get out of bed to turn your alarm off

finding a small reason to get out of bed - like a tasty breakfast, exercise, meditation, writing a mood journal, or listening to your favourite podcast while you get ready.

It's also very important that you get bright light exposure early in the morning to help you feel more awake and alert. Ideally you should open your curtains as soon as you wake up to get some early bright sunshine exposure.

Once you start getting into a routine, you'll start to find that waking up each morning becomes slightly easier.

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Lots of people have problems sleeping sometimes. If you're struggling to get to sleep, check out our tips and advice.

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Every teenager is different, though, and some teens need more than the recommended amount of sleep per night while others may require less.

Sleep is vital for people of any age. But especially in teens, profound mental, physical, social, and emotional development requires quality sleep.

Thinking and Academic Achievement

Given the importance of sleep for brain function, it is easy to see why teens who do not get enough sleep tend to suffer from excessive drowsiness and that can harm their academic performance.

Emotional Health

Most people have experienced how lack of sleep can affect mood, causing irritability and exaggerated emotional reactions. Over time, the consequences can be even greater for teens who are adapting to more independence, responsibility, and new social relationships.

Prolonged sleep loss may negatively affect , increasing risks for interpersonal conflict as well as more serious mental health problems.

Sleep-deprived teens are anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Improving sleep in adolescents may play a role in preventing and managing these mental health conditions.

Physical Health and Development

Sleep contributes to the effective function of virtually every system of the body. It empowers the immune system, helps regulate hormones, and enables muscle and tissue recovery.

Substantial physical development happens during adolescence, which can be negatively affected by a lack of sleep. For example, researchers have found that adolescents who fail to get enough sleep have a troubling , evaluated through blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other factors. These findings may put them at higher risk of diabetes and long-term cardiovascular problems.

Decision-Making and Risky Behavior

Sleep deprivation can affect the development of the frontal lobe, a part of the brain that is critical to control impulsive behavior. Not surprisingly, numerous studies have found that teens who do not get enough sleep are more likely to engage in like drunk driving, texting while driving, riding a bicycle without a helmet, and failing to use a seatbelt. Drug and alcohol use, smoking, risky sexual behavior, fighting, and carrying a weapon are also in teens who get too little sleep.

Behavioral problems can have widespread effects on a teenager's life, putting their safety in jeopardy, harming their academic performance, and sometimes damaging their relationships with family and friends.

Accidents and Injuries

Insufficient sleep in teens can make them prone to accidental injury and even death. Of particular concern is an elevated risk of accidents as a result of drowsy driving. Studies have found that sleep deprivation can reduce reaction times with an effect similar to that of significant alcohol consumption. In teens, the impact of drowsy driving can be amplified by a lack of driving experience and a higher rate of distracted driving.

By almost all accounts, many teenagers in America are not getting the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Around 6 out of 10 middle schoolers and 7 out of 10 high schoolers on school nights.

Insufficient sleep has been found to be higher among girls and people assigned female at birth. Older teens report getting less sleep than younger adolescents. Surveys have also found that teens who identify as Black, Asian, or multiracial have the highest rates of sleeping less than eight hours per night.

There is not one specific reason for sleep insufficiency among teens. Instead, several factors contribute to this problem, and these factors may vary from teenager to teenager.

Delayed Sleep Schedule and School Start Times

Adolescents develop a strong tendency toward being a "night owl," staying up later at night and sleeping longer into the morning. Experts believe this is a two-fold biological impulse affecting the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle of teens.

First, teens have a sleep drive that builds more slowly, which means they do not start to feel tired until later in the evening. Second, the body starts producing melatonin later in the day, which is the hormone that helps promote sleep.

If allowed to sleep on their own schedule, many teens would get eight hours or more per night, sleeping from 11 p.m. or midnight until 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., but school start times in most school districts force teens to wake up much earlier in the morning. Because of the biological delay in their sleep-wake cycle, many teens simply are not able to fall asleep early enough to get eight or more hours of sleep and still arrive at school on time.

With reduced sleep on weekdays, teens may try to catch up by sleeping in on the weekend, but this can exacerbate their delayed sleep schedule and inconsistent nightly rest.

Time Demands

Many teenagers have a jam-packed weekly schedule. School assignments, work obligations, household chores, social life, community activities, and sports are just some of the things that can require their time and attention.

With so much to try to fit into each day, many teens do not allocate sufficient time for sleep. They may stay up late during the week to finish homework or during the weekend when hanging out with friends, both of which can reinforce their night owl schedule.

Additionally, pressure to succeed while managing these extensive commitments can be stressful, and stress has been known to contribute to sleeping problems and insomnia.

Use of Electronic Devices

Screen time late into the evening can contribute to sleeping problems. Using these devices can be stimulating, and incoming notifications can disrupt sleep. Evidence also points to suppressed melatonin production from exposure to the light from smartphones.

Sleep Disorders

Some teens have poor sleep because of an underlying sleep disorder. Adolescents can be affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. OSA frequently causes fragmented sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Though less common, teens can have sleep disorders like restless legs syndrome, which involves a strong urge to move the limbs when lying down, or narcolepsy, which is a disorder affecting the sleep-wake cycle.

Mental Health Conditions

Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can be a challenge to quality sleep in teens as well as adults. Insufficient sleep can contribute to these conditions as well, creating a bidirectional relationship that can worsen both sleep and emotional wellness.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Teens who are having sleep problems should start by talking with their doctor about how much sleep they are getting and how it impacts their daily life. Their pediatrician can work to identify any underlying causes and craft the most appropriate and tailored treatment.

Depending on the cause of sleep problems, medications may be considered; however, in most cases, treatment with medications isn't necessary for teens to get better sleep.

A beneficial step is for teens to review and improve their sleep hygiene, which includes their sleep environment and habits. Some healthy sleep tips that can help in this process include:

Budgeting eight hours of sleep into your daily schedule and keeping that same schedule on both weekdays and weekends.

Creating a consistent pre-bed routine to help with relaxation and falling asleep fast.

Avoiding caffeine and energy drinks, especially in the afternoon and evening.

Putting away electronic devices for at least a half-hour before bed and keeping them on silent mode to avoid checking them during the night.

Setting up your bed with a supportive mattress that's the best mattress for you. And don't forget to bring your best pillow.

Keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.

Sleep hygiene modifications may be included in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), a form of talk therapy for sleeping problems that has demonstrated effectiveness in adults and may be helpful to teens. CBT-I works by reshaping negative ideas and thoughts about sleep and implementing practical steps for better sleep routines.

How Can Parents Help Teens Get Better Sleep?

For many parents and caregivers, a first step is asking their teenage children about their sleep. Encourage teens to see a doctor while also working with them to make gradual sleep hygiene improvements. Some research has found that teens whose parents set a firm bedtime get more sleep and have .

Parents and caregivers can also work with their teens to avoid overscheduling and balance commitments that can generate stress with maintaining adequate time for sleep.

Learn more about our Editorial Team

References

1. Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D'Ambrosio, C., Hall, W. A., Kotagal, S., Lloyd, R. M., Malow, B. A., Maski, K., Nichols, C., Quan, S. F., Rosen, C. L., Troester, M. M., & Wise, M. S. (2016). Consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the recommended amount of sleep for healthy children: Methodology and discussion. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(11), 1549-1561.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27707447/

2. Sio, U. N., Monaghan, P., & Ormerod, T. (2013). Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult: effects of sleep on problem solving. Memory & cognition, 41(2), 159-166.
http://link.springer.com/10.3758/s13421-012-0256-7

3. Perez-Lloret, S., Videla, A. J., Richaudeau, A., Vigo, D., Rossi, M., Cardinali, D. P., & Perez-Chada, D. (2013). A multi-step pathway connecting short sleep duration to daytime somnolence, reduced attention, and poor academic performance: An exploratory cross-sectional study in teenagers. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 9(5), 469-473.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23674938/

4. McMakin, D. L., Dahl, R. E., Buysse, D. J., Cousins, J. C., Forbes, E. E., Silk, J. S., Siegle, G. J., & Franzen, P. L. (2016). The impact of experimental sleep restriction on affective functioning in social and nonsocial contexts among adolescents. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 57(9), 1027-1037.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.12568

5. Roberts, R. E., & Duong, H. T. (2014). The prospective association between sleep deprivation and depression among adolescents. Sleep, 37(2), 239-244.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24497652/

6. Cespedes Feliciano, E. M., Quante, M., Rifas-Shiman, S. L., Redline, S., Oken, E., & Taveras, E. M. (2018). Objective Sleep Characteristics and Cardiometabolic Health in Young Adolescents. Pediatrics, 142(1), e20174085.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29907703/

7. Wheaton, A. G., Olsen, E. O., Miller, G. F., & Croft, J. B. (2016). Sleep duration and injury-related risk behaviors among high school students-United States, 2007-2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 65(13), 337-341.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6513a1.htm

8. Meldrum, R. C., & Restivo, E. (2014). The behavioral and health consequences of sleep deprivation among U.S. high school students: relative deprivation matters. Preventive medicine, 63, 24-28.
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0091743514000929

9. Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2020, September 10). Sleep in middle and high school students. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention., Retrieved February 13, 2023, from
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/features/students-sleep.htm

10. Carter, B., Rees, P., Hale, L., Bhattacharjee, D., & Paradkar, M. S. (2016). Association Between Portable Screen-Based Media Device Access or Use and Sleep Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA pediatrics, 170(12), 1202-1208.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27802500/

11. Devnani, P. A., & Hegde, A. U. (2015). Autism and sleep disorders. Journal of pediatric neurosciences, 10(4), 304-307.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4770638/

12. Short, M. A., Gradisar, M., Wright, H., Lack, L. C., Dohnt, H., & Carskadon, M. A. (2011). Time for bed: parent-set bedtimes associated with improved sleep and daytime functioning in adolescents. Sleep, 34(6), 797-800.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21629368/

13. The Children, Youth, & Families Office of the American Psychological Association (2014). Later school start times promote adolescent well-being., Retrieved February 13, 2023, from
https://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/school-start-times.pdf

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Too many teens get insufficient sleep. Learn about the importance of sleep for teens, challenges to getting the sleep they need, and steps to sleep better.

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Teenagers often struggle to wake up easily in the morning. This is not actually due to laziness, but when children become teenagers their sleeping pattern changes to make them want to go to bed later and wake up later. This can make it very difficult to wake up early in the morning.

If you're struggling to wake up in the morning then it's very important you don't go to bed too late and that you set your alarm for reasonable time in the morning and get up at that time seven days per week. If you let yourself sleep in at the weekends, it can encourage your body to go to bed later and wake up later even when you have to go to school.

Some things that can help you get out of bed are:

putting your clock or mobile phone on the other side of the room, so you have to physically get out of bed to turn your alarm off

finding a small reason to get out of bed - like a tasty breakfast, exercise, meditation, writing a mood journal, or listening to your favourite podcast while you get ready.

It's also very important that you get bright light exposure early in the morning to help you feel more awake and alert. Ideally you should open your curtains as soon as you wake up to get some early bright sunshine exposure.

Once you start getting into a routine, you'll start to find that waking up each morning becomes slightly easier.

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Lots of people have problems sleeping sometimes. If you're struggling to get to sleep, check out our tips and advice.

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With the World Cup starting in November, it's a constant reminder of the positive benefits that exercise has on sleep. It isn't a myth that exercising regularly tends to help people sleep better. Did you know that athletes often focus on sleep as much as their diet and exercise routines?

Exercising often and effectively can tire your body out gently, resulting in a better sleep when it's done right! Releasing built-up tension through exercise has many benefits, including reducing stress before bedtime and dropping your body temperature, which promotes a better sleep.

The benefits include the obvious ones too with exercise not only good for sleep, but sleep is good for exercise. Exercising can create a positive cycle of sleep, building muscle tissue, and growth hormones.
When is the best time to exercise to help you sleep?
If possible, morning or afternoon exercising is the best. If you exercise too much or too close to bedtime, it could have a negative effect. When you go to bed, it's a time to relax and chill out, but exercising too much can cause you to feel too awake to wind down in time.

This being said, exercising in the evening is much better than none at all. It's a good idea to make sure you have enough time to wind down afterwards, though. You could always consider yoga or a gentle stroll to help you relax as part of your wind down routine.
How often should you exercise each day/week if you're struggling to sleep?
20 to 30 minute sessions, three times per week should do the job! This is providing you do aerobic exercise which boosts oxygen consumption, improves breathing, and strengthens your heart and circulation.
Can you exercise too much?
You can overdo it! If you exercise too much it can do the opposite and be counterproductive, leading to you feeling extra alert when trying to sleep. Although people believe that exercising a lot can tire you out and help you sleep, this can sometimes be incorrect, so sticking to a routine of 20-30 minutes is more beneficial.
What exercise will help?
Moderate to aerobic exercise like walking has been found to help people fall asleep faster. Swimming can help you to relax your mind and body, which can improve sleep. Aerobic exercise boosts oxygen consumption, improves breathing, and strengthens your heart and circulation. As mentioned, yoga is also known for its relaxation and sleep benefits. If you suffer with tension, gentle stretching before going to bed can also help.

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With the World Cup starting in November, it's a constant reminder of the positive benefits that exercise has on sleep. It isn't a myth that exercising regularly tends to help people sleep better. Did you know that athletes often focus on sleep as much as their diet and exercise routines?

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Feeling relaxed is important in the run up to bedtime for both parent and child. If your child is experiencing difficulties sleeping it can make you both feel anxious. Youngsters often pick up on stress levels so try to create a relaxing and calm environment as bedtime approaches.

Here is some advice that may help:

1. Turn off all screens an hour before bedtime, this includes television, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. Screen activities can be mentally stimulating and also may inhibit the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone that helps us to feel drowsy.

2. Set aside time earlier during the day to allow your child to share any worries with you. It can be helpful to share how their day has been and what is planned for the next day. Make sure to give them your full attention.

3. Dim the lights in the hour before bed to create a relaxing environment and aid the production of melatonin.

4. Fine motor skill activities such as craft activities, model making, jigsaws or colouring pictures can aid relaxation.

5. Massage can help some children to unwind.

6. Classical music can be very soothing and makes good relaxing music to play in the background during the bedtime routine.

7. Mindfulness is being increasingly used and there is evidence to suggest that it can be helpful to promote relaxation and sleep. There are a number of apps and products on the market that may be useful.

8. Encourage your child to concentrate on their breathing. Imagine breathing in a beautiful white light and blowing out any worries or troubles each time they exhale. Breathing exercises are also useful for parents to carry out and are a great exercise to enjoy together.

9. Teach your child to progressively relax the muscles in their body. They can begin my tensing their feet to the count of 5 and then letting them relax. Next tense the calf muscles and relax, moving up to the thighs and so on until they have relaxed each part of their body. This is another good activity to try together.

10. End the day on a positive note by sharing 5 great things that have happened during the day.

If you are concerned about your child's anxiety levels discuss with your GP or a healthcare professional, some children may require specialist support.

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Youngsters often pick up on stress levels so try to create a relaxing and calm environment as bedtime approaches.

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Belly Breathing for Self-Care - Taking Deep Breaths to Relax - YouTube

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Belly Breathing for Self-Care - Taking Deep Breaths to Relax

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The 5-4-3-2-1 Method: A Grounding Exercise to Manage Anxiety

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Ideas for the best screen-free activities to help you and your loved one’s develop healthy screen time habits.

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Please fill in our referral form to let us know a little bit about your child's sleep problem. Then we'll email you a sleep pack to fill in. When we receive your completed sleep application and diary you will be assigned a sleep practitioner. They'll then arrange a telephone consultation with you and will give you support over the phone.

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If you just have a question/query about our Sleep Service, then you can email us at sleep@cerebra.org.uk and the team will respond to your enquiry as soon as we can.

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If your child is routinely waking in the night, it is important that they learn to self-settle rather than seeking a parent or joining a parent's bed. This can be difficult to enforce, and may be emotionally challenging, for both child and parent, but parents should remain firm and assertive.

If your child leaves their bed and seeks you out at night-time, try not to engage them in conversation, but lead them quietly and immediately back to bed. This may need to be repeated several times each night, but it is important that your child learns that they will receive the same response from you each time.

If your child is anxious, the use of a night light, cuddly toy or baby monitor may help them to feel safe and learn how to self-settle.

Praising your child in the morning for staying in bed at night can help reinforce good behaviour; this can be aided by the use of a reward chart or stickers, with a small token prize when a certain number of stickers/rewards have been won.

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Sleep hygiene in children and young people

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This information sheet from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) explains about sleep hygiene. The lead-up and routine around your child's bedtime is referred to as 'sleep hygiene'. Having good sleep hygiene can help your child both to settle to sleep and

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A sleep diary can be helpful in establishing if there's any pattern with your children's sleep issue. For instance, it might identify if there's difficulty going to sleep on a Sunday night because of anxiety about school.

As a parent it can give you something proactive to do especially if you think your child has a sleep issue and there are no available appointments or support. It can be a good way of recording data and having information to hand should you need to present to a GP or health professional.

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Sleep Diary For Kids - The Sleep Charity

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A sleep diary can be helpful in establishing if there's any pattern with your children's sleep issue.

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The bedroom environment plays an important role in getting a good night's sleep. There is a lot to consider including temperature, light and comfort. Here are some tips to help you to make sure that your child's bedroom supports a restful night's sleep:

1. Decorate in neutral colours, bright colours can be over stimulating.

2. If the room is too hot or too cold it can disturb sleep, around 18 degrees is ideal, you may find it helpful to invest in a room thermometer.

3. Make the bedroom a gadget free zone. If possible, keep TVs, gaming devices, tablets and phones out of the bedroom. Using them before may suppress the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, and make it more difficult to nod off.

4. White noise can mask out background noise and may be useful.

5. For younger children put away toys or cover them with sheets at nighttime so that they don't provide a distraction. For older children try to discourage them from doing schoolwork on their bed and pack away school books at bedtime.

6. A dark environment can help with melatonin production making us feel drowsy at the start of the night. Blackout blinds can also help in the summer months to avoid early waking.

7. Some youngsters (and adults!) prefer a little light in the room at nighttime. If a dark room is distressing or disorientating, try using a soft glowing night light that can be safely left on all night. Those with visual/hearing impairments for example can find total darkness disorientating.

8. Consistent conditions throughout the night are important. Avoid using products that switch off during the night or turning landing lights off when you go to bed.

9. Comfort is important, we all have different needs when it comes to what we prefer and what suits our bodies. The firmness of the mattress and pillows, the texture of the bedding and nightclothes are all important considerations when planning our sleep environments, especially for those youngsters with sensory needs. For more information on mattresses for children visit NBF's Bed Advice UK.

10. Never use the bedroom or an early bedtime as a sanction for children, sleep should be promoted positively.

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The bedroom environment plays an important role in getting a good night's sleep. There is a lot to consider including temperature, light and comfort. Here are some tips to help you to make sure that your child's bedroom supports a restful night's sleep: Decorate in neutral colours, bright colours can be over stimulating.

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Night terrors and nightmares are often confused as the same thing but the two are completely different.

Nightmares are unpleasant dreams, occurring in dream sleep (REM), that are remembered upon waking. A night terror takes place during non-REM sleep and involves feelings of fear, screaming, thrashing around and sweating while still asleep, and won't be remembered the next day. More information on night terrors can be found here.

Nightmares are more common than terrors but neither cause any psychological harm to your child.

Here are our tips on telling them apart and how to handle them:

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Night Terrors and Nightmares - The Sleep Charity

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Night terrors and nightmares are often confused as the same thing but the two are completely different. Nightmares are more common than terrors.

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If you’re having trouble getting your teenager out of bed in a morning, then there are several practical hints and tips that may help.

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Our aim?

It's quite simple really. We want you to get the support you need to achieve a good night's sleep.

Sometimes you may feel you have little or no control over your sleep but we're here to make sure you get access to accurate, relevant information so you can
make informed choices about your sleep, but also the tools to help you put it into practice.

Together we will empower you to make changes to your own sleep patterns, putting you at the centre of discussions around your sleep needs.

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Advice and information for teens and young people, with top tips to help you if you are struggling with your sleep.

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3 Minutes Body Scan Meditation - Mindfulness For Kids And Adults

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Audio Meditation - Time for Rest - Sleep meditation

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How to calm your worries to sleep better

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How to calm your worries to sleep better

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How to Calm Your Worries and Sleep Better: A Scientist's Tips for Falling Asleep More Quickly

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Music can be a fantastic tool in helping us switch off from the day and fall into a restful sleep. Here's a few of our favourite Spotify sleep related playlists for you to try...

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Blue Light and Sleep - The Sleep Charity

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The blue light that emits from devices (including TVs) suppresses the natural production of melatonin – the hormone you need to feel sleepy

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The exercises in this series of videos are suitable for most people in good health with a reasonable level of fitness.

Unless stated otherwise, they are general exercises only and are not aimed at treating any specific cause of pain or condition. Video titles and descriptions can give more information on how difficult the exercises are and who they are for.

Get advice from a healthcare professional before trying them if:

you are not sure if the exercises are suitable for your current level of fitness

you have a health problem, an injury, any symptoms, are feeling unwell, or you have had a recent health event such as a heart attack or operation

you have any other concerns about your health

you are pregnant or have recently given birth

Stop the exercise immediately if you feel any pain or become unwell. If you are concerned about any symptoms, or they do not go away, get help from 111 online or call 111 for advice.

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Instructor Beth will take you through a sequence of mindfulness and meditation techniques in this home workout video from the NHS Fitness Studio, where you can find a range of workout routines to suit you, whether your aim is to lose weight, improve your overall fitness, or de-stress.

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If you have a child with additional needs and sleep issues, bedtime can be tricky.

Whether they struggle to communicate how they're feeling, have increased anxiety, sensory issues or social cueing problems, sleeping well may be difficult. For example research estimates that between 40-80% of children and young adults with autism have sleep problems. If your child regularly has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, it may be a sign of a sleep issue.

Lack of sleep can impact in the following ways:

Aggression

Depression

Hyperactivity

Increased behavioural problems

Irritability

Poor learning and cognitive performance

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If a child struggles to communicate how they're feeling, have increased anxiety, sensory issues or social cueing problems, sleeping well may be difficult.