Getty ImagesMany of us are now all too familiar with media headlines telling us how to sleep better.They urge us to get eight hours, avoid screens before bed, stop sleeping in or wake up earlier, while boiling complex health advice down to simple lists of tips and tricks.But sleep is far more complicated than a handful of lifestyle hacks. And when readers encounter dozens of articles over time, the advice can often appear at odds with itself.For parents of teenagers, these mixed messages can be especially confusing. Some stories reassure them that a particular sleep pattern is perfectly normal. Others warn it could be a sign of a serious health problem.What are the consequences of such conflicting information? And how should parents treat it?‘Just a phase’ or cause for concern?To explore how these messages are presented, we analysed 36 articles concerning sleep and adolescence published in New Zealand’s mainstream news media between 2020 and 2023.Many articles described changes in teenage sleep as a normal part of growing up. Later bedtimes, sleeping in and irregular sleep patterns were often explained as the result of puberty, changing hormones and shifts in the body’s internal clock.Parents were frequently encouraged to view these changes as temporary and avoid overreacting. As one expert quoted in the media put it: “Don’t think of the teen years as being something to conquer, but rather a wave that you need to surf.”In these stories, disrupted sleep was largely presented as a natural and unavoidable stage of adolescent development.But a very different theme also appeared throughout the stories we analysed.Other articles described sleep changes in teens as a warning sign that something might be wrong. Parents were urged to watch for shifts in sleep patterns and mood, with poor sleep linked to stress, behavioural problems and mental health difficulties.One article, for instance, advised parents: “They will only sleep for a few hours and this is a serious risk for their health. This also will cause them stress, and they will vent their stress by acting out.”Here, sleep disruption was presented not as a harmless phase, but as a potential indicator of more serious problems requiring attention and intervention.The result is that parents are often presented with two very different ways of interpreting the same behaviour. Is a teenager sleeping late because they are going through a normal developmental stage? Or is it a sign of distress that requires action?Part of the explanation lies in how scientific advice is often reported by media outlets which naturally favour stories that are new or likely to drive engagement.Individual articles are often built around a particular study, expert opinion or health concern, rather than the broader body of evidence.In the process, complex research can be condensed into simple, media-friendly advice.But those familiar “five tips for better sleep” articles cannot fully capture the complexities of an issue such as adolescent sleep. As a result, readers are exposed to a steady stream of advice that can sometimes point in different directions.More than simply causing confusion, this may encourage scepticism about new research findings. Or – as is a wider issue with media coverage of health and research – people may simply tune out altogether.Advice on adviceSo, what should parents take from this constant barrage of information? How should they decide what is relevant to their own family?The first point to remember is that media advice is designed for mass audiences. While often presented in personal terms, it cannot account for the individual circumstances of a particular family or teenager.No article can determine whether any specific sleep pattern is a normal part of adolescence – or a sign that additional support might be needed.Rather than treating media advice as a set of rules to live by, it may be better taken as a starting point for reflection and discussion. It’s also important to ask teenagers what they think themselves.Work by our fellow researcher Isabelle Ross suggests that young people highly value the advice they receive from trusted adults on sleep. Parents should ask what worries them, what they struggle with or what they want help with.Such conversations are likely to be far more useful than relying on generic advice which, as our research found, is often contradictory.Mary Breheny receives funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand, Marsden FundLeigh Signal receives funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand, Marsden FundRosie Gibson receives funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand, Marsden Fund