Let There Be LIGHT… 🛏️Are Teenagers Really Supposed to Sleep Till Noon? + My 3 Tips to Change It

I haven’t written a blog post in a while—studies, work, life, and, admittedly, procrastination have gotten in the way.

But recently, after witnessing some hardcore daily habits among teenagers and young adults—going to bed between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and sleeping until midday (or beyond, if undisturbed 😊)—I asked myself: is this OK? Is it just a phase? Do all teenagers and young people do it because they need more sleep, and will they stop by the time they’re 30?

My 12-year-old has certainly started sleeping longer in the mornings. Although she doesn’t go to bed as late as 2 a.m., she can happily be up until 11 p.m. without the slightest problem and be still fast asleep at 9,30a.m.

So I looked into it a bit more.

It’s definitely true that the teenage years are a very demanding time in life. The rapid growth, hormonal shifts, and emotional changes require an enormous amount of energy. Teenagers need more sleep to support the development of their bodies and brains, and to enhance cognitive function and emotional regulation. So yes, they need to sleep more. But does it matter when they sleep, as long as they get the hours? Does it matter if it’s from 2 a.m. to 11 a.m.? What impact does the timing of sleep have on their health and well-being?

☀️🌙Circadian Rhythm and the Importance of Light (and Darkness)

Circadian rhythm is hugely important. It’s our inner body clock—a master clock—that naturally tells us when to wake up and when to go to bed. It also manages everything else in our bodies accordingly. In the olden days, people didn’t have gadgets, TVs, or even electricity to keep them awake, so it was much easier to use daylight to wake up and darkness to go to sleep. That’s how humans lived for millennia and how we evolved.

The endocrine system is tightly linked to the circadian rhythm. Morning sunlight is rich in blue light wavelengths, which help regulate the body’s internal clock. It suppresses the pineal gland from producing melatonin (the sleep hormone) and triggers the adrenal glands to start producing cortisol, which naturally wakes us up and keeps us focused. Cortisol peaks around 6 a.m., then gradually declines and should be at its lowest in the evening to allow for sleep. By the way, alcohol also increases cortisol (so if you must have a glass, it's better to drink it in the afternoon rather than in the evening or right before bed).

Sunlight also kickstarts the production of serotonin—the “happy hormone”—which promotes feelings of well-being. It supports the production of sex hormones estrogen and testosterone which reduces inflammation, and boosts fertility. It also helps produce vitamin D (technically a hormone), which is crucial for immune and bone health. Early sunlight exposure can even help with weight loss and metabolism by regulating insulin levels (reducing the risk of diabetes and metabolic disorders), leptin and ghrelin (hunger and satiety hormones), and thyroid function (which governs metabolism and energy levels).

Darkness does the opposite—it promotes sleep. It initiates the process where serotonin accumulated during the day is converted into melatonin (so if you don't have serotonin because you sleep until midday and only see the sun in the afternoon, then logically you'll also have less melatonin). The natural red light from sunset signals the brain to prepare for sleep, while blue light from bulbs, screens, and devices does the opposite.

Too much blue light in the evening (and not enough darkness) suppresses melatonin production, leading to insomnia. Reduced melatonin has been linked to nearly every chronic disease you can think of. Unfortunately, chronic insomnia in teenagers and young adults is becoming increasingly common.

So what happens when we don’t align our light exposure with nature—living at night and sleeping during the day? The endocrine system becomes out of sync, affecting the whole body. Aligning our light exposure with nature enhances hormonal balance and improves mental and physical health.

What about sleep duration vs. sleep regularity? Sleep duration is important—ideally, 8 hours a night is great. But regularity is even more crucial. The human body thrives on routine; it promotes safety, predictability, and soothes the nervous system. It can adjust slightly to later sleep times if they’re consistent. So it’s better to get 6 hours of sleep regularly (e.g., 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.) than 8 hours at inconsistent times (e.g., 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. one day, midnight to 8 a.m. another).

💪🛡️The Importance of Light from the Innate Immune System’s Point of View

Let’s return to our teenagers and why poor sleep habits might affect them more than we think. The innate immune system is the body’s first line of defense. For a strong immune system, we need interferons—proteins produced in response to invaders like viruses, bacteria, or cancer cells. Interferons are crucial. They’re like the bodyguards at a nightclub—the intruders must get past them to crash the party.

Our immune system is incredible. If it’s strong, it can tackle almost anything. We all deal with many invaders on a daily basis (including cancer cells), and our response depends on one key factor: how strong our immune system is.

Adequate sleep at the right time is one of the most effective immune boosters. And vice versa, chronic lack of regular sleep weakens the immune system. Speaking of interferons, regular sauna or steam therapy also increases them (they’re released by fever or elevated temperature—a natural response to infection).

Teenagers and young adults with irregular sleep habits are comparable to shift workers. The definition is: if you’re awake between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. for at least 2 hours, at least 2 days a week, and at least 25 days a year—you qualify as a shift worker. According to a CDC study, shift workers have significantly increased risks of cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, infertility, mental health issues… and the list goes on.

It doesn’t happen overnight. You won’t see it today, tomorrow, or even in a month or two (and the occasional late night won’t cause it). But if this lifestyle is maintained regularly, problems are likely to arise later.

🧘‍♀️🚭 🛏️ Creating habits for the Future

Some people say, “I’m a night owl, and so are my children. They like being up at night and sleeping into the day—it’s fine. By the time they’re 30, I’m sure they’ll change.”

Not necessarily.

We all know how hard it is to change deeply ingrained habits. How many of us have tried to cut sugar, exercise regularly, go to bed earlier, use fewer screens… and actually succeeded? It takes about 40 days to change a daily habit and around 3 months to make it a lifestyle. How many changes have you stuck with past 40 days—or even 3 months?

Think about how long it takes kids to adopt basic hygiene habits like brushing teeth daily or washing hands after playing outside. What I’m saying is: it’s really hard to change sleep habits!

Today’s teenagers might end up with hybrid sleep patterns—waking early for school or work (feeling unrefreshed), then reverting to late nights and late mornings whenever possible. This creates irregularity, which can be even worse than sleep deprivation (remember the circadian rhythm).

Being a “night owl” or “early bird” might sound appealing—almost like an excuse: “This is just how I am.” But in my opinion, it’s more learned behaviour than innate. The nervous system plays a role, as do liver health and adrenal fatigue (both can make us more energetic at night and groggy in the morning).

Humans evolved to follow sunlight. Of course, there’s some variability—we’re all different—but not drastically (we’re talking maybe an hour or so).

And I’m not talking about the occasional late night or lie-in—holidays, travel, special events. That’s life and life is there to be lived and enjoyed ❤️.  I’m talking about daily habits. So… what’s your sleep pattern default?

🌙 3 Simple Rules for Teenagers (and Everyone Else) to Avoid Insomnia and Support Long-Term Health

1.   📵Limit Blue Light in the Evening 

Screens—TVs, phones, laptops—emit blue light that disrupts the body’s natural sleep rhythm. The more teens are exposed to it, the less sleepy they feel. And when they can’t sleep, they often return to their screens for more scrolling or gaming, creating a vicious cycle.

Set boundaries around screen use, ideally two hours before bedtime. For example, my daughter’s phone locks most apps after 7 p.m. It’s amazing how she suddenly finds other things to do—bake a cake, go into the garden, read a book, play a board game, write, do her hair. It’s like she’s free again, knowing she can’t go online.

Internet and screen addiction is real, and young people are especially vulnerable. There’s plenty of evidence showing how damaging it can be for developing brains. Try limiting phone use in bedrooms before bed time and switching devices to airplane mode to avoid tempting notifications.

Many phones also have a red light or blue light–blocking mode; mine activates at 7 p.m. Many people (including me) use red lens glasses to block blue light (I’m wearing them in the picture above—returning with my kids from holiday around midnight that day…). I use Ocushield, but there are many good brands available. 

2.   🛏️ Encourage a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Ideally, teens should be asleep by 10 p.m. and get around eight hours of sleep each night. Consistency is key. If they do go to bed later, try to maintain a regular schedule—say, midnight to 8 a.m. It’s not ideal (for many reasons described above), but it’s better than constantly shifting sleep times.

3.   ☀️Get Early Morning Sun Exposure

The habit of getting outside in the morning – even for just 10 minutes - whether it’s a lovely brisk walk before breakfast or a moment in the garden, always without wearing sunglasses (save them for later when the sun gets stronger) is hugely beneficial and kickstarts the endocrine and immune systems.

💬 A Personal Note

Staying up late is super-tempting and I struggle with it too. As a busy mum, evenings feel like the only time I can concentrate, relax, or get things done once the kids are asleep and the house is quiet. The 3 rules above are very simple – you don’t need to buy anything to achieve this, they are very clear, however, they are certainly not easy to stick to. I don't mind admitting that even for me, it's still work in progress.

I tried them last year and followed them religiously for a couple of weeks – in bed by 9pm, asleep by 10pm, getting up around 6.30 – 7. And I can tell you that the difference I felt after only a week was unbelievable. I felt energised, happy, waking up refreshed, all the little aches and pains suddenly disappeared, my digestion improved. This change shows results very quickly (even if you don’t change any other areas in your life such as diet or exercise).

🎯 Your Challenge

So I challenge you (and myself too) to make one change every week and stick to it.

 Can you get past 40 days? Let me know how it made you feel … ❤️