Most teens need an average of around 8-10 hours of sleep per night, but many struggle to sleep. Lack of sleep can affect us in many ways, from how we feel to how well we drive and focus on other tasks. Lack of sleep can also put us at risk of getting sick, impact the way we perform in sports and it has been linked to weight gain in some people.

Getting enough sleep is important. However, how do we do this? The following tips should come in handy:

Be Active- You should be active during the day because you’ll sleep great at night. Think about it, little kids spend so much time running around and then they sleep very good. A good idea is to exercise at least 60 minutes per day because this will help you unwind and decrease stress. Just make sure you don’t exercise near your bedtime because you might end up struggling to get to sleep.

No More electronics- No more electronics, at least not in the bedroom. Use your bedroom as a place to sleep and sleep only, or at least turn off your electronics at least an hour or two before you’re due for bed. Nothing wakes people up faster than a text message or a ping.

Get Into A Sleep Routine- Try to get into a sleep routine by heading to bed at the same time every single night. Do something to unwind before bed, such as listening to music, reading, write in a journal, spend time with your pet or something else that you find relaxing. Just make sure it doesn’t include using electronics.

Expect A Good Night’s Rest- If you stress out about sleeping, the chances are you’ll stay up looking up into the darkness, so get into the right mindset. Expect to get a good night’s rest, and remind yourself that you will sleep good. Tell yourself this throughout the day. You might be surprised at how well this little trick works.

A new bed can make all the difference – if your mattress is over 10 years old, then our advice is treat yourself to a Keetsa mattress.

Also, you can try to do breathing exercises. Some exercises can take you from being in a negative mood to a positive mood. A good exercise is to finger count breath.

When people are feeling relaxed, air flows deeper into the lungs. What you want to do is practice belly breathing. The more you practice, the easier this will become to do.

No Drugs & Alcohol- A lot of people think doing drugs and alcohol helps them unwind and relax, but this is far from the truth. Doing either can keep you up at night or cause you to wake up in the middle of the right. Stay away from both if you want a good night’s rest. However, there are supplements that can help you sleep related to these.

Every now and then you’re bound to have a sleepless night. This is fine, but it is an issue if it starts to impact your life. If you feel lack of sleep is impacting your everyday life, then it’s time to speak to a doctor.