Night Time Routines for Positive Teen Mental Health
Positive teen mental health takes consistent effort from us as parents, particularly in our modern, tech-filled, on-the-go culture.
I have two teenagers and for me, evening routine is a particularly important part of a mentally healthy lifestyle.
It helps the nervous system stay calm and allows time for winding down ready for a healthy night’s sleep.
Here are my best tips from my personal experience and from my twenty plus years as a clinical psychologist working with teens.
| Strategy Number | Strategy Description | Key Components |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Use a visual planner to establish a routine | Simplify tasks, use visual aids, and be flexible with timings |
| 2 | Set a fixed time to end studying | Encourage rest periods, establish clear boundaries, and create a commitment to wind down |
| 3 | Engage in gentle exercise | Favour yoga or stretching to stimulate relaxation and avoid intense workouts at night |
| 4 | Create a pre-bedtime routine | Lower sensory inputs and create calming environments with dim lights and soft sounds |
| 5 | Utilise a worry box or journal for anxieties | Helps articulate and manage worries to clear the mind before sleep |
| 6 | Mimic ancient routines (think like a caveperson) | Avoid overstimulating activities in the evening and engage in relaxing, natural activities |
| 7 | Prepare for the next day before bedtime | Organise necessary items and responsibilities to alleviate morning stress |
1. Use a Visual Planner to Create a Routine
Visual planners reduce overload.
When your teenager is clear what to do next, they don’t have to think about it.
When they are tired, they will procrastinate less.
Keep the planner simple.
Use colour and pictures.
Don’t be too rigid about timings.
Here’s an example.
2. Choose a Time to Stop Studying, and Stick to It
It’s vital that the body gets a chance to move into “rest and digest” mode from action/doing mode.
For positive teen mental health teach your child to have clear boundaries in the evenings.
Ask them to make a commitment.
For example:
After 7.30pm I will close my books, switch my computer off, and start to wind down.
3. Gentle Exercise Only
Gentle exercise such as stretching or yoga will reduce tension in the body.
It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, or “rest and digest”.
This helps us wind down successfully ready for bed. (Read more about the parasympathetic nervous system and “rest and digest” in this article.)
It is important your child doesn’t do intense exercise in the late evenings.
Endorphins produced by intense aerobic exercise can disrupt sleep.
Aerobic exercise also raises the body’s core temperature, which signals to the body that it is time to wake up (not sleep).
4. Set up a “Pre-Bedtime Runway”
A pre-bedtime runway is an essential tool for positive teen mental health. It primes the body to relax, by giving the body deliberate and unmistakeable signals to chill out.
At least an hour before your bed, your child should practise calming each of the senses in turn. Turn down the volume on the TV or music, talk in a softer voice, dim the lights, consider using relaxing smells (eg candles, oils) or tastes (eg hot chocolate). Avoid caffeine at night time at all costs. Ensure your child stops using electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime.
5. Use a Worry Box or Journal if Anxious/Sensitive
Often, worries come to life in evenings and decide to have a party.
They swirl around in your child’s mind, gathering momentum.
Journaling or using a worry box are powerful strategies. They teach your teen:
- To put the worry into words. This prevents it from being a vague cloud of worry. “Name it to tame it”.
- Getting the worry onto paper diminishes its power and allows your teenager to go to sleep with a clearer head. Strategies such as these for managing worries are critical to positive teen mental health.
Read more about worry boxes in this article.
6. Think Like a Caveperson
Our brains have not evolved to cope with modern life.
The circadian rhythm and nervous system may be easily upset by small things like loud music or shouting, leading to over-stimulation.
Our distant ancestors lived according to the gentle ebb and flow of nature, without electric light or power. They would have had only the gentle light from a fire to see by.
I can picture them sitting round a campfire, talking, perhaps singing or softly drumming.
The reduction in light entering the caveperson’s pineal gland would have triggered the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
A short while later they would drift into a natural, deep sleep.
Don’t allow your teenager to do exciting or overstimulating activities in the evening. It confuses brain and body, so the release of melatonin may get interrupted.
Advise gentle exercise only (such as yoga, stretching or walking) for the same reason.
Avoid bright light.
7. Prep For Tomorrow
Encourage your teenager to prepare for the next day before bedtime.
This helps reduce bedtime stress and promotes a restful night’s sleep. Guide them in organizing their school materials and packing their bag if necessary.
Help younger teens to lay out their uniform or clothes, and together, prepare their lunch if needed.
This routine will give them a sense of accomplishment and readiness for the day ahead.
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Dr Lucy Russell is a UK clinical psychologist who works with children and families. Her work involves both therapeutic support and autism assessments. She is the Clinical Director of Everlief Child Psychology, and also worked in the National Health Service for many years. In 2019 Lucy launched They Are The Future, a support website for parents of school-aged children.
Through TATF Lucy is passionate about giving practical, manageable strategies to parents and children who may otherwise struggle to find the support they need.
Lucy is a mum to two teenage children. She lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband, children, rescue dog and three rescue cats. She enjoys caravanning and outdoor living, singing and musical theatre.
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