Teens & sleep

Researchers use the phrase “perfect storm” for adolescent sleep. Changes in how the body regulates sleep combine with social pressures, leaving many teens with sleep that is too short and badly timed.

The CDC puts it simply: late bedtimes plus early school start times mean most teens don’t get enough sleep.

Teens tend to sleep more in the morning, and this is part of a normal shift in timing. A teen who can’t fall asleep early is usually not being difficult.

Bright artificial light late in the evening can disrupt the body’s sleep signal and make it hard to fall asleep. The CDC notes that more evening light, from rooms and screens, is linked to less sleep.

Many people try to make up for lost sleep at the weekend. NINDS notes that, depending on how short on sleep someone is, sleeping longer at weekends may not be enough to replace what was missed.

Very late weekend wake-ups can also shift the body clock later, making Monday mornings even harder. The CDC advises regular bed and wake times every day, including weekends.

Children and teens who are short on sleep may have trouble getting along with others. They may feel angry and impulsive, have mood swings, feel sad or lack motivation.

Things you might notice

• Falling grades or trouble focusing
• Irritability, mood swings or a short fuse
• Losing interest or motivation
• Trouble getting along with others

Sleep experts describe teen sleep as often both short and badly timed. A steady schedule helps the body clock know when to feel sleepy and when to feel alert.

Studies of later start times link them to

• Fewer absences and late arrivals in first period
• Fewer car crashes among teen drivers
• Less daytime sleepiness
• Longer sleep
• More engagement in class
• Fewer signs of low mood and irritability

When Seattle’s school district moved secondary school start times nearly an hour later, students slept a median of 34 minutes more each day. Attendance improved, and median grades rose 4.5%.

California law now says high schools may start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and middle schools no earlier than 8:00 a.m. It took effect by July 2022, with exceptions such as rural districts.

Other places are having the same discussion. Parents, students and teachers can ask their own school boards about start times and sleep education.

Nearly all mood and anxiety conditions come with some kind of sleep problem. Sleep and emotional health affect each other in both directions.

Short sleep can leave young people feeling angry, impulsive or sad. Arguments, tears or slammed doors may be partly about tiredness.

The CDC says enough sleep supports physical health, mental health, attention, behavior and readiness to learn. Later school starts have been linked with fewer signs of low mood and irritability.

The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics both suggest putting all devices away at least an hour before bedtime, and charging phones outside the bedroom overnight.

Many teens worry that going offline means missing jokes, plans or drama. Agreeing on an “offline after” time that friends know about can ease the pressure.

The Screens, sleep & your brain guide explains why screens and sleep clash, what research says about night mode, and how to build a screen wind-down.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises teens to avoid caffeine after lunchtime, because it can stay in the body for more than 8 hours.

Caffeine works by blocking adenosine, a brain chemical that helps you feel sleepy. It can hide tiredness without fixing it.

In a study of 112 middle and high school athletes, those who slept less than 8 hours a night were 1.7 times as likely to have had an injury as those who slept 8 hours or more.

Sleep experts also list athletic injuries among the problems linked with short sleep in teens.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests keeping older children’s daytime naps to 20 to 30 minutes. Long or late naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night.

Questions to ask together

• Can homework start earlier in the evening?
• Is there one activity that could be dropped or shortened?
• Are late work shifts on school nights necessary?
• Where is there time to rest and have fun before bed?

Share what you know about the teen body clock, then ask what would make nights easier. A plan made together feels fair rather than like a punishment.

Things to agree on

• A screens-down time
• A weekday bedtime and wake time
• How late weekend lie-ins can go
• Where phones charge overnight

If parents’ phones also go to the family charging spot, and parents protect their own sleep, rules feel fairer. The CDC notes that steady bed and wake times help children, teens and adults alike.

Bedtime and wake-up are the worst times to talk about sleep. Try a relaxed daytime moment, like a car ride or a meal.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests avoiding arguments at night, and keeping bedrooms cool, dark and quiet without TVs, phones or tablets.

Schools can add sleep to the health curriculum and look at start times, homework load and late events on school nights.

Very early practices and late games cut into sleep. Coaches can treat sleep as part of training, given its link with injuries.

When a friend group agrees to stop messaging at a set time, nobody feels left out. Teens can lead this change for each other.

Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, any time, day or night. It is there for teens and for worried parents.

A free, 24/7 text line with trained crisis counselors. Many teens find texting easier than talking.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) is a free directory of verified helplines in many countries, by phone, text or chat.