Using Social Media at Night

It may be hard for some to remember the last time that they got a proper, full night’s sleep. Schoolwork, jobs, and extracurricular activities are just a few things that can contribute to an adolescent’s hectic and busy schedule. Simply put, there aren’t enough hours in the day for people to do everything that they want, and they often sacrifice the time they should be using sleeping to get everything else done.

Continue reading Using Social Media at Night

Staying Awake as an Act of Rebellion

Most of us do not like being told what to do. It can be as minor as being told to do an easy chore, or someone you don’t know that well telling you how to do something. This even includes your own brain: for example, you may tell yourself to start that homework assignment or put your laundry away, and instead…you would rather not. Continue reading Staying Awake as an Act of Rebellion

Tips to Improve Sleep

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.


We never really understand how vital it is for us to sleep until it is taken away from us. If you have problems getting asleep or staying asleep, here are some tips that can help you get better and more restful sleep!

Stay out of the bed during the day

Use your bed as a place for sleep. If you are doing things like studying and laying in bed during the day, it can take away from the idea of the bed being a place for rest.

Avoid daytime napping

This is a huge culprit for having problems sleeping at night, try to fight the urge to take naps during the day so when it is time for bed, you are actually tired.

Turn off the screens

Avoid screens like TV and phones 1 or 2 hours before bed. Not only can it be a strain on the eyes, but it will help your brain know to wind down. Also Google the “Blue Light Effect” and how much it impacts your ability to fall asleep.

Go to bed when you are actually getting tired

Don’t go and lay in bed waiting to fall asleep. This can cause your mind to race and you might find yourself staying up even longer.

Try to have a more regular sleep schedule

If you go to sleep at 11 and get up at 7, stick with it! Having inconsistent sleep schedules confuses our Circadian Rhythm and sometimes we have issues actually falling asleep when needed.

The ones that have been the most helpful for me is avoiding my TV and phone at night. There have been so many instances I have watched hours go by on the clock without even realizing it because of endlessly scrolling through my social media. It also helps clear my head and my mind right before bed.

I am also working on having a more consistent sleep schedule. I usually get up at 6:30 and aim to be in bed by 10pm. It helps me stay structured and when it gets close to my bedtime, I really notice myself getting tired and ready for bed. My body has already gotten used to this schedule and it helps me feel more refreshed and awake in the morning.


What techniques do you use to fall asleep? Does your child have problems sleeping? What signs do you look out for to see how your child’s sleep is going?

Helping Your Child Improve Sleep

While it’s important that adolescents are getting a good night’s sleep, sleeping patterns and the amount of sleep adolescents get can get jumbled because of mental illness (for example, we’ve talked about depression naps and their effects). Overall, it’s difficult for adolescents to get the recommended amount of sleep they should be getting, and with higher rates of mental illness within this age group today, it can be even more difficult because of the ways that it can affect your sleep, such as depression napping and insomnia. Continue reading Helping Your Child Improve Sleep

Catching Up on Sleep

Truthfully, the chances that your child’s sleep schedule aren’t the best are quite high. Adolescents in high school and college, despite needing a sufficient amount of sleep, do not get the recommended eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. There are tons of reasons for this: technology, caffeine, and just being too busy are just a few factors, to name a few. Continue reading Catching Up on Sleep

Sleep Hygiene

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.


The amount of sleep I’ve had in any given night is the single most important determinant in how my day is going to go. This is because sleep correlates with emotional well-being, physical health and ability to concentrate and function properly throughout the day. I find myself especially cranky and kind of insufferable to be around on days that I haven’t had enough sleep – I’m one of those “don’t talk to me until I’ve had coffee” kind of people. Continue reading Sleep Hygiene

Tracking Your Sleep with Tech

So, obviously using technology to help one’s sleep doesn’t make much sense. It’s almost a widely accepted known fact that using technology as much as we do can actually damage our sleep habits and patterns, especially when using it in bed and during nighttime. If you or your child haven’t been sleeping that well though, you may need some extra support getting the recommended eight hours of sleep a night. Continue reading Tracking Your Sleep with Tech

Are Dreams Linked to Mental Health?

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.

The blog post includes a discussion about nightmares and mentions of graphic imagery. Please read with caution if any of these items triggers or upsets you.


Can dreams serve as diagnostic criteria for mental health?

Since I was a child I have always had very vivid and intense dreams that I typically would remember. Most of my dreams were and still are nightmares, but I am not quite sure what that means. As I got older I discovered quite a few people never really remember their dreams or even knew if they dreamed or not. Continue reading Are Dreams Linked to Mental Health?

Getting Better Sleep without FOMO

Quite often, the first piece of advice we receive when trying to change our sleeping habits and to get a better night’s sleep is to put our phone (and all other types of screens and technology) away. Experts recommend that adolescents get at least 8-10 hours of sleep a night, and to ensure staying asleep, to avoid screen time at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before you plan to call it a night. Continue reading Getting Better Sleep without FOMO