Herbie Murray
Adolescents are notorious for not getting enough sleep. While they need between eight and 10 hours of sleep every night, most teenagers only get about 6.5 to 7.5 hours of sleep per night. This is due to a biological shift in their internal clock, which makes them feel tired later in the evening, and the fact that school start times are often too early for them to get a full night's rest. This chronic sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on their lives, affecting their mental wellbeing, academic performance, and increasing their risk of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Average amount of sleep teenagers get | 6.5-7.5 hours |
| Amount of sleep teenagers need | 8-10 hours |
| Biological shift in adolescent's internal clock | 2 hours |
| Average teen needs to feel alert and well rested | 9 hours |
| Impact of chronic sleep deprivation | Dramatic effects on mental wellbeing, academic performance, increased risk of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem |
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What You'll Learn
Adolescents need more sleep than adults
Teens are at an important stage of their growth and development, and a lack of sleep can have dramatic effects on a teenager's life, impacting their mental wellbeing, increasing their risk of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem, and reducing their academic performance at school.
There are many factors that can interfere with adolescent sleep patterns. Smartphones and other devices used around bedtime reduce sleep time. Avoiding stimulants such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks in the evening can help to promote better sleep.
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The average amount of sleep teenagers get is between 6.5 and 7.5 hours
Adolescents need a lot of sleep because they are at an important stage of their growth and development. Sleep is vital for people of any age, but especially in teens, profound mental, physical, social, and emotional development requires quality sleep. Research shows that most teens do not get the sleep they need on a daily basis.
Chronic sleep deprivation can have dramatic effects on a teenager's life, including affecting their mental wellbeing, increasing their risk of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem, and reducing their academic performance at school.
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Teenagers need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep
Teens are at an important stage of their growth and development, and they need more sleep than adults. The average teen needs about 9 hours of sleep each night to feel alert and well-rested. Teenagers' body clocks naturally shift to make them feel tired later in the evening, but early school starts do not enable them to sleep in the mornings. This can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, which can have dramatic effects on a teenager's life, including affecting their mental wellbeing and reducing their academic performance at school.
There are many factors that can interfere with a teenager's sleep patterns. Smartphones and other devices used around bedtime reduce sleep time. Avoiding stimulants such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks in the evening can help to promote better sleep.
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Teenagers' body clocks shift to make them feel tired later in the evening
Adolescents are known for not getting enough sleep, with the average amount of sleep that teenagers get being between 6.5 and 7.5 hours per night. However, they need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night, with some studies suggesting that most teenagers need 9.25 hours of sleep.
There are several reasons why adolescents don't get enough sleep. One key reason is that their body clocks naturally shift to make them feel tired later in the evening. This shift in sleep schedule is a biological change that occurs after puberty, causing a shift of around two hours in an adolescent's internal clock. This means that a teenager who used to fall asleep at 9 pm will now not be able to fall asleep until 11 pm and will also wake up two hours later in the morning.
This shift in body clock is believed to be driven by two factors affecting the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle of teens. Firstly, teens have a sleep drive that builds more slowly, meaning they don't start to feel tired until later in the evening. Secondly, the body starts producing melatonin later in the day. Melatonin is the hormone that helps promote sleep. If allowed to sleep on their own schedule, many teens would get eight hours or more per night, sleeping from 11 pm or midnight until 8 am or 9 am. However, early school start times in most school districts force teens to wake up much earlier in the morning, disrupting their natural sleep patterns.
Chronic sleep deprivation can have significant negative effects on a teenager's life, including impacts on their mental wellbeing, increasing the risk of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. It can also affect their academic performance at school. To promote better sleep, adolescents should avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks in the evening, and limit the use of smartphones and other devices around bedtime.
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Lack of sleep can affect a teenager's mental wellbeing
Adolescents need more sleep than adults, with the average teenager needing between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every night. However, most teenagers only get between 6.5 and 7.5 hours of sleep per night. This is due to a biological shift in an adolescent's internal clock of about 2 hours, meaning that a teenager who used to fall asleep at 9 pm will now not be able to fall asleep until 11 pm. This shift also means waking up 2 hours later in the morning, but early school start times mean that teenagers are unable to sleep in.
Chronic sleep deprivation can have a dramatic effect on a teenager's life, including their mental wellbeing. Lack of sleep can increase the risk of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. It can also reduce academic performance at school.
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Frequently asked questions
Adolescents need more sleep than adults because they are at an important stage of their growth and development. Research shows that most teens do not get the sleep they need.
Adolescents need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every night. The average teen needs about 9 hours of sleep each night to feel alert and well rested.
Adolescents' body clocks naturally shift to make them feel tired later in the evening. However, early school start times mean they have to wake up much earlier in the morning. Other factors that can interfere with sleep include the use of smartphones and other devices around bedtime, and stimulants such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks in the evening.
Chronic sleep deprivation can have dramatic effects on a teenager's life, including their mental wellbeing, and their academic performance at school. It can also increase their risk of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.
