Nearly half of Australians say they have problems sleeping. We've teamed up with the Australian Sleep Foundation to share information and resources to help you get a better night's rest.
Sleep is important for our mental wellbeing. It is particularly important for teens and adolescents, whose body clocks naturally shift during growth and development.
Research from the Australian Sleep Health Foundation tells us that maintaining good sleep habits is just as important as good diet and exercise. We should be aiming for 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. Most teenagers across the world get between 7 and 8 hours sleep, so they may be at risk of being in ‘sleep debt’.
Why do we need sleep?
According to the Sleep Health Foundation, sleep is important for:
- concentration, learning and memory
- physical, emotional and mental health
- building emotional resilience
- efficient functioning of both your brain and body
- supporting a healthy body and mind.
Sleep patterns change throughout our lifespan, particularly between the ages of 12 and 25. During this period, teens and adolescents often don’t feel tired until later in the evening and naturally wake up later in the morning. It means that enforced early mornings add to the risk of sleep deprivation.
Chronic sleep deprivation can have a dramatic impact on a teenager’s life, affecting their mental wellbeing and reducing their performance at school, sport, relationships and other areas of life.
How can we improve sleep?
Associate Professor Dr Darren Mansfield from the Australian Sleep Health Foundation shared his top tips for better sleep. He suggests we:
- have a bedtime routine, and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
- keep distracting items out of the bedroom
- try relaxing activities before bed, like meditation, read a book, write in a journal, have a warm bath
- stay off screens at least 1 to 2 hours before bed, and if this cannot be avoided, consider using blue light blocking glasses that can be purchased online
- don’t go to bed on a full stomach, try leaving a 2-hour gap between mealtime and bedtime
- ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet and at a comfortable temperature
- when you wake up, try to let some sunlight in for 30 minutes and avoid wearing sunglasses.
You can learn about the benefits of good sleep hygiene and how you can improve your sleep habits, by watching a seminar from the Sleep Health Foundation on the City of Boroondara YouTube channel.
Find out more
For more information about the importance of sleep health, visit the Sleep Health Foundation website.
If lack of sleep is affecting your mental health or the health of someone in your family, you can find out about support services on our Counselling and mental health services page.