Sleep is something that we often take for granted, but it’s an incredibly important factor in children’s and young people’s good mental health, as well as their physical wellbeing. Getting the right amount of sleep can help children to:
- Improve their concentration
- Reduce anxiety
- Have more energy and stamina
- Improve their mood
- Enhance learning
- Rest and repair their minds and bodies
- Improve memory and recall
- Improve creativity
- Reduce stress
Without enough sleep, young people can find it harder to focus at school, they may feel drained by the end of the day and are more likely to become irritable or experience low moods and mood swings, which can affect friendships and relationships with parents, carers, teachers and their peers.
How much sleep is enough?
The amount of sleep we need varies from person to person and can also change during different periods of our lives. We all also have our own Circadian Rhythm which dictates whether we are a ‘night owl’ and naturally prefer going to bed later or are a ‘lark’ and function well early in the morning.
According to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, teenagers operate best on between 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. The amount of sleep needed will vary according to the individual, so young people and parents need to tune into their minds and bodies to understand whether they are getting enough sleep.
The importance of melatonin in children’s sleep
Melatonin is a sleep hormone that is produced later at night, making us feel sleepy and ready for bed. Teenagers usually produce melatonin later at night which is one of the reasons why they tend to prefer to go to sleep later and wake up later. Light suppresses the production of melatonin so it’s important to keep the room dark at night, and then flood the room with light in the morning to help get up and going. Blue light on screens also suppress the production of melatonin, making it harder to sleep.
Three reasons why young people may struggle to get to sleep
- Puberty – during adolescence, the sleep cycle often changes and shifts, meaning that young people want to go to bed later and wake up later, which can sometimes cause arguments with parents who are keen that their teenager get enough sleep to meet the challenges of their day. At this age young people also tend to be more sensitive to the presence or lack of melatonin and so it’s even more important to reduce screen time and ensure rooms are dark.
- Intrusive thoughts – these can occur at any age. In younger children, they can sometimes be caused by separation anxiety from the parent, or an inability to articulate their fears. Common intrusive thoughts include fears about strangers coming into the house, the house catching fire and thoughts around death.
- Anxiety – a busy brain will often go through the events of the day when the young person goes to bed. It’s not unusual for children and young people to ruminate on what has happened during their day: things they have said, and things that other people have said to them, as well as general worries around school, friendships and home.
Other issues such as neurodivergence can affect the length and quality of sleep; for example, young people with ADHD can often struggle with getting to sleep or waking up during the night. Young people may also struggle more with sleep during stressful times such as exams or times of upheaval such as parental separation.
Counselling can often help children and young people who are experiencing problems with their sleep by exploring the reasons why the young person is struggling to sleep and then developing strategies and targets to help resolve the issue.
Book a free consultation today
If you would like to find out more about counselling could help with sleep problems, you can book a free 20-minute consultation via Archway Health and Wellbeing with no obligation. Call 01858 410 820 or email admin@archwayhealth.co.uk to make an appointment.