Many parents may underestimate just how vital sleep is to their teenager, and the extent to which it can impact their moods and behaviour.

Mobile phones and online devices can cause issues for teens at bedtime, and it goes beyond them being more vulnerable to the effects of blue light than adults.

"The two things that we don't often think about when it comes to devices, is if you're watching a Netflix show, you don't typically turn it off 10 minutes in, you'll watch it for the whole show.  So naturally that pushes back your bedtime," says sleep psychologist Dan Ford from The Better Sleep Clinic.  "And the other is we underestimate how engaging the content is and how much that stimulates your brain.  And when your brain is alert, it's harder to fall asleep."

Discussing bedtimes and coming to an agreement with teens on when to switch off devices can remove a lot of headaches for parents.

Parents concerned with the amount of time their teens spend using devices, or worried about their online activity, can consider using a parental control app, such as Circle, to manage their family's screen time and monitor what sites and apps their children use.

Establishing a "charging hub" in the house where teens have to plug their devices in each evening can also be effective in reducing their use of devices after hours.

-First published in The Press 19 May 2021