Why is my sleep so messed up?
You know sleep is important: we don’t need to tell you that. But right now you may not want to get your zzz’s until super-late—and then feel zonked in the AM. Dr. Scott says that during puberty, “your sleep cycle is shifting. Your melatonin (the hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness, and therefore sleepytime) is shifting.” That’s the science-y bit, but she says that to get optimal sleep, habits are even more important: Are you watching your screen and is the blue light messing with your sleep time? Do you have a ton of homework that’s keeping you up too late? “Sleep is so important for everything,” she says, “so you need a routine in the evening that’s going to protect your sleep and keep you going to bed at a time that allows you 9 hours if you can.”