In short: A fixed bedtime routine helps children. Keep screens and TV out of the child’s bedroom. Teenagers are not lazy: their body clock runs later. For babies, the safe sleep guidelines come first.
Safe sleep for babies
Tip: Put babies on their back, on a firm, flat mattress in their own cot, without loose blankets or pillows.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends these safe sleep guidelines to reduce the risk of sudden infant death. Sharing a room with the parents (not the same bed) is also recommended.
How to apply it: Use a sleeping bag instead of a blanket and keep the cot empty. Follow the advice of your child health clinic.
Source: Moon et al., 2016, Pediatrics (AAP).
A fixed routine works for toddlers
Tip: Do the same three things in the same order every evening (bath, book, bed).
A consistent bedtime routine improved the sleep of babies and toddlers: falling asleep faster, waking less. Predictability gives a sense of safety.
How to apply it: Keep it short (20–30 minutes), with dimmed light and no screens.
Source: Mindell et al., 2009, Sleep.
One hour less sleep makes children noticeably less sharp
Tip: Make sure your child sleeps enough, for example by sending them to bed an hour earlier.
Children who slept an hour less performed on behaviour and thinking tests roughly like children two school years younger. An extra hour restored that.
How to apply it: Primary school children need 9–12 hours. Count back from getting up and plan the bedtime.
Source: Sadeh et al., 2003, Child Development. Paruthi et al., 2016, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
A TV in the child’s bedroom costs sleep
Tip: Keep screens out of your child’s bedroom.
Children with media in the bedroom slept less and were more likely to be overweight. Screens delay bedtime and stimulate the brain.
How to apply it: Set up a fixed charging spot for tablets and phones in the hall, and switch everything off 1 hour before bed.
Source: Falbe et al., 2015, Pediatrics. Hale & Guan, 2015, Sleep Medicine Reviews.
Teenagers aren’t lazy, their clock runs later
Tip: Help your teenager with morning light and fewer screens in the evening.
During puberty the body clock shifts later. In Seattle, a later school start (55 minutes) gave about 34 minutes more sleep and better grades.
How to apply it: Make agreements about phones, do not let them sleep in too late at the weekend and allow time to rest.
Source: Carskadon et al., 1993, Sleep. Dunster et al., 2018, Science Advances.
Pulling an all-nighter before a test is a bad plan
Tip: Study by day and sleep at night, especially before a test.
Pupils who sacrificed sleep to study understood the material worse the next day. Sleep also helps lock in what you have learned.
How to apply it: Stop studying at a fixed time and do a short review in the evening, before going to sleep.
Source: Gillen-O'Neel et al., 2013, Child Development. Gais et al., 2006, Learning & Memory.
Sleep helps your relationship
Tip: Go to bed on time together if you argue a lot.
Lack of sleep leads to more conflict and less patience. Sleep also affects intimacy: in a study of women, every extra hour of sleep was linked to a higher chance of sex the next day.
How to apply it: Set a fixed “bed together” time and put your phones away.
Source: Gordon & Chen, 2014, Psychological Science. Kalmbach et al., 2015, Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Getting older: you sleep differently, not worse
Tip: As an older person, keep a fixed rhythm, be active during the day and seek daylight.
Deep sleep decreases with age, especially up to about 60. Waking at night becomes more common. Regularity and daylight make up for a lot.
How to apply it: Walk outside every morning, limit naps to 20–30 minutes and avoid caffeine after midday.
Source: Ohayon et al., 2004, Sleep.
Athletes: sleep is your best supplement
Tip: Try to schedule extra sleep during busy periods.
Basketball players who spent 10 hours in bed for weeks sprinted faster and scored better. Young athletes with less than 8 hours of sleep were about 1.7 times more likely to get injured.
How to apply it: Plan extra rest after hard training and matches, and take a short nap.
Source: Mah et al., 2011, Sleep. Milewski et al., 2014, Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. Fullagar et al., 2015, Sports Medicine.
Sleep practice for a new skill
Tip: Practise a new skill in the evening and sleep afterwards.
After a night of sleep, people improved by about 20% on a motor task, without extra practice. Your brain processes and refines movements while you sleep.
How to apply it: Practise an instrument, dance or sport in the evening and repeat it the next day.
Source: Walker et al., 2002, Neuron.
Did you know?
A later school start worked
In Seattle, starting 55 minutes later gave about 34 minutes of extra sleep and better grades.
Tip: Give teenagers a fixed evening routine and keep phones out of the bedroom.
Source: Dunster et al., 2018, Science Advances.
More sleep, more intimacy
In a small study of 171 women, every extra hour of sleep was linked to about a 14% higher chance of sex with a partner the next day.
Tip: Talk about it with your partner: go to bed earlier together.
Source: Kalmbach et al., 2015, Journal of Sexual Medicine (small study).
And your mattress?
Sleeping together and keeping each other awake? A duvet each helps. Does one of you sleep on your stomach? SleepLab One is a 90 cm wide single mattress and fits next to another mattress in a double bed.
Frequently asked questions
How much sleep does a child need?
It depends on age. Schoolchildren need on average 9 to 12 hours, teenagers 8 to 10 hours.
Why do teenagers go to sleep so late?
During puberty the body clock shifts. Teenagers get tired later and want to get up later; that is biology, not laziness.
More sleep tips
- Falling asleep faster
- The ideal bedroom
- Power nap and daytime tips
- Food, drink and sleep
- Worrying and insomnia
- Sleep rhythm and regularity
- Sleep and your body
- Sleep, work and performance
- Effects of sleep deprivation
- All sleep tips
General information, not medical advice. If you have persistent sleep problems, snore with breathing pauses or are very sleepy during the day, see your GP. SleepLab One is not a medical device. Updated on 22 October 2026.