2-Minute Sleep Tip: How Modern Life Sets Your Teen Up for Sleep Problems

Last week, we talked about how your teen is set up for sleep issues because of an expected 2-hour delay in the body clock during adolescence.

To make matters worse, modern life sets up your teen to shift onto an even later schedule. [Aside: Adults are set up for this too!]

A big factor is that we have access to artificial light and screens 24/7.

Too much light (and, in particular, blue spectrum light) in the ~4 hours before bedtime shifts the body clock later and inhibits the rise of melatonin, pushing back when your teen will feel sleepy.

While putting away screens at least 1-2 hours before bedtime is a great practice, it’s rarely a realistic ask—and often very counterproductive with teens.

Instead, a harm reduction approach is a smarter place to start.

Today's 2-Minute Action:

1. Take stock of your teen's light environment in the 4 hours before their bedtime.
2. Are there any easy, realistic ways to reduce light? Can you turn off or dim unnecessary lights in the evening? Could you use incandescent light bulbs instead of bright LED lights in the evening?
3. Set an alarm 4 hours before bedtime on repeat so that you remember to reduce light in the evening. For example, if your teen is aiming for sleep at 11pm, set this alarm for 7pm.

For More:

Listen to Find the Eight Episode #6: How You Can Hack Light to Sleep Better​

Coming up:

Reducing evening light is a powerful intervention but typically isn't enough. Next week, we'll talk about another simple way of using light to help your teen sleep and feel better.

All the Best,

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A friendly note if you not are a parent of teens: You may have noticed that this newsletter doesn’t sound like it’s written for you. Though I hope you'll still find the ideas and tips helpful, if you wish to unsubscribe, no hard feelings! If you know any parents of teens who might benefit from these tips, please share my website where they can sign up for this newsletter.

NOTE: The content and all linked materials in this newsletter provide general information about sleep and insomnia and are not intended to replace medical advice from a qualified healthcare provider. The provided content should not be relied upon for medical diagnosis or management. Please direct questions or concerns to your physician and/or qualified health care provider.