Better Sleep for Teens – How to Switch Off Your Brain isn’t about rules, routines, or being told to “put your phone away and try harder.” It’s about understanding why sleep feels so difficult during the teenage years — and how your brain actually works when it’s wired, alert, and stuck in night-mode.
Across five short, calm modules, you’ll learn:
- why teenage brains run on a different sleep schedule (and why that’s not your fault)
- how light, noise, temperature, and your space quietly affect your nervous system
- why rhythm matters more than strict bedtimes
- what screens really do to your brain at night — without demonising them
- how to come back after bad nights without starting from scratch or beating yourself up
This isn’t a sleep “fix” or a performance challenge. It’s a way of working with your brain instead of fighting it. You stay in control the whole time. Dip in. Try one idea. Ignore another. Come back when you need to. Sleep isn’t something you succeed or fail at. It’s a system — and systems can change.
If you want calmer nights, less pressure around bedtime, and a way to help your brain finally switch off…
This is a good place to start.
This self help audio has been produced for East London NHS Foundation Trust and was written and narrated by Mark Taylor - North Bedfordshire CAMHS Service.
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Before we get into it
Before we get started, this short introduction helps you settle in.There’s nothing you need to do, remember, or change. You can listen in your own time, pause when you...
First Episodes
Before we get into it
Before we get started, this short introduction helps you settle in.There’s nothing you need to do, remember, or change. You can listen in your own time, pause when you...
Module 1: Why Sleep Feels So Hard (And Why It’s Not Your Fault)
If you’re exhausted but still can’t switch off, this episode helps you understand why.In this first module, we look at what’s actually happening in the teenage brain w...
Module 2: Your Space and Your Sleep
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Module 3: Finding a Rhythm That Works
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Module 4: Screens, Pressure, and Switching Off
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