Promoting healthy sleep in children and young people

Many children and teenagers struggle with sleep, either with falling into a deep sleep or with waking multiple times through the night, this can have a negative impact on the whole family, including siblings if they share a room.

Some ideas that may help your child to regularly achieve restful sleep:

  • Decide on a bedtime and stick to it
  • Reduce screen time two hours before bed
  • Create a wind-down routine with them, maybe reading or listening to music
  • Encourage them to keep bed just for sleep, television and gaming should be enjoyed elsewhere
  • Keep bedrooms cool and free of clutter

It’s important to remember that sleeping issues may take time to improve and to be patient with your child, but sticking to a routine is a key part in helping your child to improve their sleep.

You will find a list of useful resources below:

Mental Health Foundation caregivers guide to sleep

Sleep and young children – NHS

How to sleep well for teenagers | Evelina London