Should Your Teen Have a Set Bedtime?

Parents of teenagers know that the days of putting your child to bed at 8 p.m. are long gone. Now, you’re lucky if your teenager falls asleep before midnight. As a 13-year-old transitions from being a pre-teen, it’s natural for them to stay up later.

Teen biological sleep patterns shift toward later sleeping and waking time during adolescence. At the same time, with busy lifestyles and plenty of activities, there's a good chance your teen is not getting the proper rest.

This article looks at ways that parents can help teens get the right amount of sleep, keeping them healthier today while instilling good sleep habits that may last across a lifetime.

Sleep That Teens Need

Teens often don't get the optimal eight to 10 hours of sleep recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Early school start times are one reason. Medical professionals and school administrators debate the pros and cons of starting school later.

At home, you can try to solve the problem by first knowing the time your teen needs to wake up in the morning to get to school or an early sports practice. Then subtract eight to 10 hours, give or take an hour, and you'll estimate an ideal bedtime.

It may not seem realistic, and you probably won't find your 13-year-old headed off to bed as soon as the sun goes down. But if you know there's a 6:30 a.m. wake-up alarm, you can set a bedtime of 9:30 p.m. or so, and help by teaching your teen good sleep habits that will last a lifetime.

The Importance of Sleep for Teens

Everyone needs a good amount of sleep each night, but the teen years are an especially important time to be getting that rest. Health benefits of appropriate sleep include:

• Helping to maintain a healthy weight
• Keeping hormones in balance, including those key to metabolism
• Managing blood pressure and preventing diabetes
• Regulating mood and mental health (while limiting depression and other disorders)
• Improved attention, learning, and memory
• Protecting the immune system and preventing illness

Your teenager might think they are almost an adult, but their brain isn’t fully developed yet. Because of that, they may be more likely to take risks and make poor decisions. Teen health risks can be made worse by not getting enough sleep.

What Is a Good Bedtime for 13-Year-Olds?

Parents and caregivers often wonder if it is still appropriate to give a teenager a definitive bedtime. The answer depends on your teen and your situation. A 13-year-old may need more help going to sleep at an appropriate hour, and parents can help. A 17-year-old shouldn’t need as many reminders about good sleep habits.

Rather than give an older teen a strict bedtime, it's better to educate your teen. Let them know how much sleep their growing body needs, and how melatonin, circadian rhythms, and other sleep-regulating functions work in teen bodies. Keep the focus on planning their schedules and encouraging a healthy bedtime hour, rather than strictly enforcing it.

For teens who still aren’t motivated to go to sleep at a reasonable hour, establish some rules. For example, you can tell your teen they can’t drive the car unless you’re sure they had plenty of sleep the night before. Explain that driving while tired is a common cause of teen car crashes, a leading cause of teen death and injury in the United States.

Encouraging a Teen to Go to Sleep

There are other rules you can make and steps you can take to help your teen get enough rest. Some or all of these parenting tips and strategies may help to encourage healthy sleep patterns.

Confiscate All Electronic Devices

At 9 p.m. each night, collect smartphones, tablets, and other devices. Keep them in a basket in a common area of the house (or if your teen is prone to sneaking them back, in your bedroom).

Too often, teens stay up late connecting with friends or browsing the Internet, and the light from the screens interferes with their quality of sleep. Do yourself a favor and toss your phone in that basket, too.

Discourage Caffeine Use

Instead of serving soda or other caffeinated drinks, have your teen try to drink only milk or water for dinner. Even sipping on sports or energy drinks after school can affect a teen’s sleep.

Keep energy drinks and caffeinated sodas out of the house, and discourage your teen from drinking coffee. If they need caffeine to get through the day, then they probably need more sleep overall.

Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

A bedroom should be dark and cool. Set a small light by the bed in case your teen likes to read before sleep. The mattress and pillow should be comfortable. Take TVs out of bedrooms—this room should be for sleep only, and the environment should reflect that goal.

Keep Sleep Schedules on Weekends

Many teens shift sleep patterns on the weekend and doze until noon or later. A 2022 study of myths about teen sleep found that 74% of parents and caregivers said it was "no big deal" for teens to shift sleep patterns on the weekends. But this leads to "social jet lag" and can contribute to mental health symptoms, risky behaviors, and problems in school, so keeping the routine is important.

Make a Set Bedtime

Make sure your teen knows that you expect them to be in bed by 9:30 p.m. with the lights out by 10:00, or whatever times allow for the right amount of sleep. Being consistent about your bedtime expectation can help them to meet it. At the same time, limit any daytime naps that disrupt sleep patterns.

Be a Good Role Model

Your teen may not be the only one who's not getting enough rest. If you always fall asleep on the couch while watching TV in the evening, or if you struggle to wake up in the morning, your teen is likely to follow suit. Show your teen that you think it's important to get the right amount of sleep by going to bed at a reasonable time.

Summary

Many teens aren't getting enough sleep, and that may come as no surprise to adults who never get enough sleep either. But the teen years are an important time to cultivate good sleep habits. It's one of the reasons for parents to set a good example now, and to teach a 13-year-old the techniques they'll need to know across a lifetime in order to be well-rested.

Setting a bedtime is one strategy. Encourage your teen to plan for proper sleep by heading to bed early, avoiding social media and other disruptions, and keeping their sleep schedule consistent. Talk with them about the health benefits, including information about how sleep is regulated in their bodies and sleep-related changes to their physical and mental wellness.

With better sleep, your teen will be a healthier and happier person and may perform better in class and at sports. If you think a health issue is disrupting your teen's sleep, contact your healthcare provider.