Should You Wake a Sleeping Teenager? Your Teen Mag (2024)

January 14, 2016

It’s a common dilemma. You know how important sleep is for teenagers and how critical for teen health. You’ve heard the health tips for teens which warn that most teens aren’t getting enough sleep. Your teenager, who works hard all week long, likes to sleep in on weekends, often stumbling out of bed in the early afternoon.

To wake or not to wake: Is sleeping in bad for your teen?

Though your teenager will not thank you, says Dr. John Duffy, you should be waking him up at a reasonable hour on weekends.

3 Reasons that Support Waking a Sleeping Teen:

Should You Wake a Sleeping Teenager? Your Teen Mag (2)1. Structure is important.

Teenagers need structure, explains Duffy, a Chicago-based psychologist and author of The Available Parent:Radical Optimism for Raising Teens and Tweens. “Sleeping the day away can drive some poor habits. So, difficult as it is, I strongly encourage parents to wake teenagers up on the weekends. Of course, it doesn’t need to be as early as it would be during the school week. It’s the structure that is critical.”

2. Structure leads to personal responsibility.

Structure helps teenagers develop self-regulation—such as not staying up all night and sleeping in all day—an important skill that they will need to be successful in college and beyond.

3. A routine makes the school week easier.

When teens sleep in, they go to bed later. That means Monday mornings are a disaster with your teenager struggling to get up in time for school and they’re catching up all week.

How to Sell the Idea to Your Teen:

So how should you start if you—like many of us—have a teenager who doesn’t rise until well after noon? Tell your teenager you’ll be waking her up on weekends, with the goal that she’ll be doing it on her own within a reasonable time frame.

“The sooner your teenager is responsible for waking herself up, both during the week and on the weekends, the better—both now and in the long run,” explains Duffy.

“It’s critical to remember that fostering competence and resilience are among the most important goals of parenting. The more we helicopter and do for our teenagers, the more we are taking away that potential from them, even in matters that feel as trivial as the alarm clock.”

Duffy recommends introducing the idea over dinner or in the car (not when your teenager wanders downstairs at 1 p.m. on a Saturday). That’s what Cleveland-area mom Jill Davidson did with her own son—when he was 12, he routinely slept until noon on weekends. Monday mornings were always awful, as Davidson’s son could not get to sleep at a reasonable hour on Sunday night. So, the two reached an agreement that he’d get up, at latest, by 11 a.m. on weekends. But after hearing Duffy’s advice, Davidson and her son had a second conversation. He switched to getting up at 10 a.m.

“He was only 12, but it was a good time to change the pattern,” says Davidson. “Better to start him understanding that sleeping the day away is not healthy.”

Should You Wake a Sleeping Teenager? Your Teen Mag (2024)

FAQs

Should I take my 16 year old's phone away at night? ›

Taking away a teen's phone interferes with their social life, which can drive a wedge between parent and teen. It's helpful to make the punishment related to the misbehavior, so taking away your teen's phone for a misbehavior like breaking curfew doesn't usually make sense.

When should a 16 year old sleep and wake-up? ›

In most teens, melatonin levels don't rise until about 10:30 or 11 p.m., so they aren't sleepy before then. But going to bed at that time means teens should ideally sleep until about 7:30 or 8 a.m. This isn't an option for many because of school start times.

Should I be responsible to wake-up 17 year old for school? ›

Yes, teens are very capable of waking up on their own, but if YOU continue to be their daily wake-up call, why would they bother to learn how to? Megan Devine, LCPC, therapist, and Empowering Parents life coach, says it best, As long as you take responsibility for getting your child out of bed, they will let you do it.

Should my 15 year old have their phone at night? ›

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that children ages 6 to 18 had an 88 percent higher risk of not sleeping enough when devices were in the bedroom and a 53 percent higher risk of getting a bad night's sleep—and that's when devices were in the bedroom just three nights a week.

Should parents look through their 16 year olds phone? ›

Secretly checking their phone is not OK, according to Dr. Moreno, who recommends “looking at the device together, as it's an opportunity to build trust and communication.” She adds, “Snooping bypasses both trust and communication and often does more harm to the parent-child relationship than good.

Should parents check their 15 year olds phone? ›

The phone plan is probably in your name and you probably bought the electronic devices. But even if not, you have every right and responsibility to check them if you've been given cause to do so because you have the right and obligation to keep your home safe, your child safe, and your other children safe.

Is it normal for a teenager to stay up all night? ›

Teens need 8-10 hours of sleep per night for their well-being. Teens often have a natural tendency to stay up late due to their changing biological clocks. Obligations like early school start times, homework, extracurriculars, and social activities can make it hard for teens to get enough sleep.

What is the sleep pattern for a 16 year old? ›

Summary. Sleep research suggests that a teenager needs between eight and 10 hours of sleep every night. Most teenagers only get about 6.5-7.5 hours sleep per night. Teen's body clocks naturally shift to make them feel tired later in the evening, but early school starts do not enable them to sleep in the mornings.

What is a reasonable bedtime for a 16 year old? ›

3-5 years old: should go to sleep between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. 6-12 years old: should go to sleep between 7:30 and 8:30 pm. 13-18 years old: should go to sleep around 10:00 pm. Bare in mind that once puberty hits, it will be difficult for teenagers to fall asleep until around 11 pm.

Should parents control a 17 year old? ›

A parent has both the legal right and the duty to control their 16- or 17-year old children, unless they are emancipated.

Should I give my 17 year old a bedtime? ›

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.

What is teen fatigue syndrome? ›

CFS is a chronic (long-lasting) condition that makes people feel very tired and weak. They can also have headaches, dizziness, or other physical symptoms. Sometimes they have emotional symptoms too, like anger or sadness. Different people with CFS can have different symptoms.

How to discipline a teenager that won't listen? ›

Here are some effective discipline tips for teens and kids:
  1. Let consequences do the talking. ...
  2. Deliver consequences calmly, compassionately and promptly. ...
  3. Don't be afraid to set limits. ...
  4. Choose your battles. ...
  5. Praise good behavior.

How much screen time is ok for a 15 year old? ›

Screen time can impact on myopia development and progression, and is also linked to dry eye syndrome, digital eyestrain, and poor head and neck postures which can cause pain. Teenagers are recommended to have no more than 2 hours of sedentary, recreational screen time per day.

Can my mom take my phone if my dad pays for it? ›

If she feels that the phone is a distractiuon or is unhealthy for the child's well being, she can take the phone away. This depends on the child's age and the circ*mstances. However, the custodial parent may not limit communication with the non custodial parent if it is mandated in the custody order.

How much time should a 16 year old be on their phone? ›

Screen time can impact on myopia development and progression, and is also linked to dry eye syndrome, digital eyestrain, and poor head and neck postures which can cause pain. Teenagers are recommended to have no more than 2 hours of sedentary, recreational screen time per day.

Is it okay to take away your child's phone at night? ›

As a parent, it's common to worry about your child's phone use. Too much time on a device can lead to insomnia, anxiety, and all kinds of other issues. But taking away their phone at night might do more harm than good.

How do I get my 16 year old off the phone? ›

How to get your teenager off their phone
  1. #1 Set a good example. If there's one thing that teens don't respond well to, it's hypocrisy. ...
  2. #2 Treat them like adults. Teenagers are in a hurry to grow up – don't it's a trap! ...
  3. #3 Create family boundaries around phone use. ...
  4. #4 Come up with fun activities that trump using their phone.
Sep 7, 2017

Should parents take away kids phones at night? ›

Yes, unless you are absolutely sure your teenager is able to put the phone away (and not pick it up) at bedtime. That's because screens and sleep do not mix. The light emitted by the typical screen inhibits the production of melatonin in our brains. Melatonin is the chemical that allows us to fall and stay asleep.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Horacio Brakus JD

Last Updated:

Views: 6186

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Horacio Brakus JD

Birthday: 1999-08-21

Address: Apt. 524 43384 Minnie Prairie, South Edda, MA 62804

Phone: +5931039998219

Job: Sales Strategist

Hobby: Sculling, Kitesurfing, Orienteering, Painting, Computer programming, Creative writing, Scuba diving

Introduction: My name is Horacio Brakus JD, I am a lively, splendid, jolly, vivacious, vast, cheerful, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.