Good news! If you are a teenager, after reading this article, YOU will be able to explain and defend your sleep habits to any adult who questions you. No, seriously, there are hormonal and biological reasons for why adolescents sleep the way they do.

Every single month, my body sends me a signal that I need to slow down. Yes, I’m referring to my menstrual cycle. This cycle is biologically necessary in the bodies of mature females if life as we know it is going to continue.

That’s the word for the feeling when you hit your limit. Know what I’m talking about? That feeling when you can’t take one more thing, when you feel like you’re about to explode. We might know it more commonly as being overwhelmed.

We often hear people say, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” or “I have XYZ still to do, I’ll sleep when that’s done.” We can easily neglect one of the biggest things our bodies need, and it may be that sometimes we just forget how important it is. 

Insomnia is a real problem especially when you have a full day ahead of you that definitely requires getting some rest. If you’re like my sister and you’ve struggled with this, one of the best things she’s found that helps is listening to guided meditations for sleep.

If you have relationships in your life, then it is almost guaranteed that you will also face conflicts from time to time. Ignoring difficulties or handling them in harmful ways, can affect your mental rest and even rob you of sleep at night.

Have you ever thought about what truly goes into a good night of rest? There are so many environmental factors that can impact how we even get to sleep and stay asleep that are important to address. 

For several months, I was getting enough sleep. I was within the 7-9 hours recommended to adults, but I was still exhausted. I was up in the mornings, let’s say by 8am (college student) and finally in bed around 12am. Sounds ok right? Nope. Those 16 hours were filled to the brim with classes, my job, extra-curricular activities, homework, etc. My schedule was so crammed, I couldn’t think about anything else. Mentally, I was so tired.