How to help your teen get enough sleep Keep a regular sleep schedule. Avoid caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Once they reach puberty, teens need eight to 10 hours of sleep a night, but just over a third of American teens say they get at least eight hours of sleep on a normal school night. We don't know why, but the hormone that tells the brain to sleep (melatonin) is secreted later at night in adolescents.
It's not uncommon for teens not to be sleepy until 11 p.m. Natural melatonin supplements are sold without a prescription and can help reset the body's internal clock. It should be taken an hour or more before bedtime. There is no research to suggest any long-term harm from its use as a sleep aid.
We don't recommend prescription medications; they can make you feel lightheaded and cause a drug hangover.
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