“Get more sleep” is something teenagers hear all the time. And honestly, it’s pretty easy to ignore.

There are only so many hours in a day. Between school, practice, homework, friends, phones, and whatever else is going on, sometimes sleep is the thing that gets pushed back. I definitely stay up later all the time because I want to finish something or just wasn’t ready to go to bed. It never seems like a big deal that night.

But sleep does a lot more than just make you less tired the next day. It helps with focus, memory, mood, and recovery. If you play sports, recovery is a pretty big deal too. Practicing and working out are important, but your body needs time to recover from all of that.

The other thing is that not every teenager has the same chance to get enough sleep. Some students have to wake up really early, some work after school, some help with their younger siblings, and some just have a lot going on at home. So saying “just get more sleep” sounds simple, but it might not actually be that simple for everyone.

I’ve started noticing that about a lot of health advice. Eat better. Exercise more. Sleep more. It all sounds easy when you say it like that. Actually getting it done is very different. It’s kind of funny that one of the healthiest things you can do is basically nothing. Maybe going to bed early deserves a little more credit.