Teen Phone & Sleep Reset Plan
A collaborative sleep and screen-use worksheet for adolescents: identify what keeps them up, choose two or three changes, and track sleep, energy and mood across a two-week experiment.
2-page fillable PDF · US Letter (prints on A4) · Sleep hygiene · Behavioural
- Approach / concern
- Teens (13-18)
- Technique
- Sleep hygiene · Behavioural
- Format
- Fillable PDF, 2 pages (US Letter / A4)
- Access
- Pro and Advanced plans (3-day free trial)
- For
- Licensed clinicians to use with clients
- Updated
- October 2026
Key facts
What is the Teen Phone & Sleep Reset Plan?
Adolescents are biologically prone to later sleep timing, and evening phone use often pushes bedtimes later still. This worksheet frames change as a self-chosen experiment rather than a rule imposed by adults, which tends to increase buy-in from teens.
Why it works
Screen use, especially near bedtime, is consistently associated with later bedtimes and shorter sleep in young people (Hale & Guan, 2015). Insufficient sleep in adolescents is linked to poorer mood, attention and academic performance (Owens et al., 2014). Small, sustained changes can make a meaningful difference.
When to use it
- Teens with low mood, irritability or anxiety
- School refusal or daytime fatigue
- Family conflict over phones
- Alongside CBT for insomnia adapted for adolescents
How to use it in session
- Explore current sleep and what gets in the way, without judgement.
- Let the teen choose two or three changes.
- Agree on a two-week trial and simple tracking.
- Review energy and mood changes together.
- Involve parents to support the plan, not to police it.
Clinician tips
- Lead with curiosity. Teens often know phones affect their sleep.
- Charging outside the bedroom is usually the single most effective change.
- Consistent wake times matter more than early bedtimes.
Worked example
Sharing with clients
Members can download the PDF to print or email, or copy a private client link from the download box. Your client opens the link and downloads the worksheet on any device. No client account is needed, and nothing your client writes is stored on TherapyAid.
Frequently asked questions
What if parents and teen disagree on the rules?
Use the worksheet in a family session. Agreeing on a trial period and reviewing results together reduces power struggles.
Do blue-light filters solve the problem?
They may help a little, but engagement (scrolling, messaging) is a bigger factor than light alone.
References
Hale, L., & Guan, S. (2015). Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic literature review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 21, 50-58.
Owens, J., & Adolescent Sleep Working Group, Committee on Adolescence. (2014). Insufficient sleep in adolescents and young adults: An update on causes and consequences. Pediatrics, 134(3), e921-e932.
This worksheet is an educational tool for use by, or under the guidance of, a licensed or registered mental-health professional. It is not a diagnostic instrument or a substitute for clinical judgement. If a client is in crisis in Canada, call or text 9-8-8 or call 9-1-1.
