The importance of sleep

An image with a pink background on the left and a light blue background on the right. In the centre is an image of a light green alarm clock.

It is really important to make sure that you get enough sleep!

Missing out on sleep can make everything harder. It can mean you are more likely to miss school and can make it difficult to concentrate in class. Good sleep also improves your memory and helps your mind and body to recover, meaning you feel refreshed.

There are lots of reasons why you might not be getting the best sleep. For example, you could be struggling to have a restful night if you are worried about school.

Here are some DON’Ts and some DOs to get the most from your snooze:

❌ DON’T sit on your phone just before bed. The light from your phone (and TV, iPad, laptop!) can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.

✅ DO try to keep your sleeping hours the same by going to bed and getting up at the same time each day.

❌ DON’T lie awake in bed worrying if something is on your mind. If you’re awake in bed for more than 20 minutes, it’s better to get up for a bit. Chill out on the sofa with a hot drink (with no caffeine as that will wake you more), read a book, or write a list of the things that are worrying you. And then 20 minutes later, try getting into bed to sleep again.

✅ DO switch your phone off at night. It’s tempting to check for messages and have another scroll through TikTok, but it can wait till morning!

Sleep Scotland provide information and support on how to get the best from your sleep. You can read more about how better sleep can help you and find good sleep techniques here.