A good night’s sleep is one of the most important things that a person can do to improve their quality of life. Being well-rested helps you focus, it improves your mood, it keeps you more alert, and it can also help prevent all sorts of issues later on in life.
Throughout a person’s life, they’ll probably have stages where they’re able to get a lot more sleep (like when they’re a newborn baby) and times where they might get a lot less sleep (like cramming before finals in college or university).
How Much Sleep Should a 15 Year Old Get?
A 15 year old should get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
8 or 9 hours of sleep is an ideal amount for most 15 year olds. By this age, teens are likely going through puberty and their bodies are growing. They’re eating more, and getting enough sleep is very important.
See also: Why do teenagers sleep so much?
There are times when a 15 year old might get less than 8 hours of sleep each night, like if they’re staying up late on a weeknight and they have class in the morning. Sometimes, monday mornings are really difficult for teens to adjust to if they were sleeping-in during the weekend.
Trying not to sleep in too late on the weekends can make weekday mornings a bit more management, without having to sacrifice any hours of sleep.
Sleep Advice for 15 Year Olds
Today’s world has a lot of obstacles that can make it really tricky for teenagers to fall asleep, so here are some tips for a 15 year old who is having trouble sleeping.
Avoid Screens
Scrolling on your phone while you’re in bed and trying to fall asleep is a sure-fire way to stay up longer. You’re filling your brain with all sorts of quick dopamine hits, things that can make you feel anxious or bad, and blasting your face with blue lights that tell your body it’s not time to sleep yet.
If you can avoid screens for even thirty minutes or an hour before bedtime, you’ll find it easier to fall asleep. It might not happen on the very first night, but give it a chance.
Read a Book
Having a book on your bedside table is a really good way to calm down for bedtime. Even if it’s an exciting book, there’s just something about reading that can help people fall asleep, much better than staring at a screen.
ePaper is also better to stare at before bed than a cellphone or tablet screen, so if you have a Kindle or another type of eReader, that’s a great thing to keep next to your bed to help you fall asleep.
Put Away Distractions
Put away anything that’s distracting you before bed. That means physically and mentally. If there are physical distractions like video games or anything else, put them away. If there are mental distractions, put them away (the next section on meditation can help with that).
Meditation
Taking a few minutes to clear our your mind before bed can make it a lot easier to fall asleep. A simple meditation takes only a few moments to get into, you don’t have to get super intense about it. Just focus on your breathing, breath in and out, and visualize all of your stresses and everything on your mind being wiped away like windshield wipers on a car.
Avoid Caffeine and Sugar Before Bed
Sugar and caffeine are readily available and common found all over the world, but they can be serious business when it comes to over-stimulating a teenager before bed and making it harder for them to fall asleep.
Final Thoughts on How Much Sleep a 15 Year Old Needs
A typical 15 year old needs 8 or 9 hours of sleep. Sometimes, a teen will be extra tired and need a bit more sleep, that’s pretty normal. Teenagers sleep a lot, and they generally need a good amount of sleep, so even 10 hours isn’t super abnormal.
By practicing good sleep hygiene, 15 year olds can get more restful sleep, feel more focused, and do better in school and during their after-school activities. So, how much sleep does a 15 year old need? It depends on the 15 year old, but they need about as much as an average adult plus an extra hour or so. Most teens and adults don’t always get enough sleep, but it’s super important.
