Why sleep matters
Sleep is when your brain recharges. Without enough of it, concentration drops, mood suffers, and everything feels harder. As a teenager, you need 8 to 10 hours a night. Most students do not get that.
What gets in the way:
- Anxiety and worry
- Screens before bed
- Irregular sleep schedules
- Caffeine and energy drinks
- An uncomfortable or noisy environment
- Your mental health more broadly
What can help
Contact our Therapy Service at therapyservice@atomix.ac.uk if poor sleep is becoming a pattern.
- Build a routine. Same bedtime, same wake time, even at weekends if you can manage it. Your body clock will thank you.
- Wind down without screens. Read, listen to music, journal, or try a breathing exercise. The blue light from phones genuinely does keep you awake longer.
- Watch the caffeine. Energy drinks and coffee after mid-afternoon can make it much harder to fall asleep.
- Do not force it. If you are lying awake, get up and do something calm for 10 minutes, then try again. Fighting sleeplessness makes it worse.
- Sort out the basics. Temperature, noise, light, comfort. Small changes to where you sleep can make a real difference.
For parents and carers: KidsHealth guide to teen sleep problems.
Not everything needs a counsellor. Sometimes talking to your tutor is enough. Sometimes it is a friend, a family member, or an anonymous helpline. Whatever works for you.