Going from late summer nights and lie-ins to early school mornings can be a shock – especially for teenagers.
You might be perfectly happy staying up until midnight (or later) during the holidays, only to find that when school starts, suddenly you’re expected to be asleep hours earlier and awake before you’ve had enough sleep.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not doing anything wrong. Teenagers naturally tend to feel sleepy later at night than younger children and adults. Your body clock shifts during puberty, making it harder to fall asleep early and easier to sleep later in the morning.
But with a new school year approaching, there are things you can do to make the transition easier.
Don’t try to fix everything in one night
If you’ve been going to bed at 1am and getting up at 10am all summer, suddenly trying to sleep at 9pm probably isn’t going to work.
Instead, start shifting your sleep schedule gradually.
Try moving your bedtime and wake-up time 15–30 minutes earlier every couple of nights until you get back to your usual school routine.
For example:
- Nights 1–2: bed at 12.30am
- Nights 3–4: bed at midnight
- Nights 5–6: bed at 11.30pm
- Continue until you reach your usual bedtime.
The same applies to getting up. Gradually bringing your wake-up time earlier helps your body clock adjust without making the first few mornings feel completely impossible.
Morning light is your secret weapon
One of the best ways to reset your body clock is to get some natural daylight soon after waking.
Open your curtains, get outside, walk to school if you can, or simply spend some time outdoors in the morning.
Morning light sends a strong signal to your brain that the day has started, which can help shift your body clock earlier.
Give your brain a chance to switch off
If you’ve spent the evening gaming, scrolling, messaging friends or watching videos, going straight from your phone to “right, time to sleep” isn’t always realistic.
Try giving yourself some time to wind down before bed.
You don’t have to sit in silence staring at a wall. Try listening to music, reading, having a shower, chatting with family or doing something else that feels relaxing.
If you’re using your phone in bed, consider putting it away or switching to something less stimulating before trying to sleep.
Don’t rely on weekend lie-ins to catch up
Once school starts, it can be tempting to sleep until lunchtime at the weekend.
A little extra sleep can be helpful, particularly if you’re catching up after a busy week, but very large lie-ins can push your body clock later again – making Sunday night and Monday morning much harder.
Try to keep your wake-up time reasonably consistent, even at weekends.
What if you can’t fall asleep?
Don’t panic.
The more you lie there thinking “I HAVE TO SLEEP NOW”, the harder it can be to relax.
Keep your bedroom comfortable and dark and give yourself time to wind down. If you’re lying awake for a while, try a quiet, relaxing activity until you feel sleepy again.
And don’t keep checking the time. Watching the minutes tick by can make you feel more stressed about getting to sleep.
Starting somewhere new?
If you’re starting secondary school, college, sixth form or a new school this year, it’s completely normal to feel excited, nervous – or a bit of both.
New routines, new teachers, new people and unfamiliar surroundings can all give your brain plenty to think about when you’re trying to sleep.
If your mind is racing at bedtime, try getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Write down anything you’re worried about, what you need to remember for tomorrow or even something you’re looking forward to.
You don’t need to solve everything before you go to sleep. Sometimes, simply writing it down can help your brain let go of it for the night.
You don’t need a perfect sleep schedule
Getting back into a school routine takes time. If you have a few late nights while you’re adjusting, don’t worry.
Focus on the basics:
Gradually move your bedtime earlier.
Get some morning daylight.
Give yourself time to wind down.
Keep your wake-up time reasonably consistent.
And be patient with your body clock.
The aim isn’t to become a perfect sleeper overnight. It’s to give your body the chance to adjust so that when that alarm goes off on the first morning of school, getting out of bed doesn’t feel quite so painful.
