Research on teen sleep

John Hopkins Children's Hospital

 Why sleep is important for teens

 

American Educational Research Assoc.

 Study on impact for elementary students

Ted Talk on teen sleep and school start times

 Wendy Troxel, sleep scientist and author


 

Misconceptions about teen sleep

Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, MD, chair of the NJAAP Task Force on Adolescent Sleep & School Start Times



Official sources


The information and research provided in this web section are from the following sources:
  • National Sleep Foundation
  • Dr. Jack Peltz, Dept of Psychology, SUNY Brockport
  • American Psychological Association
  • American Academy of Pediatricians
  • American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Fast facts


  • Healthy sleep for teens improves attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation and mental and physical health.
  • Adequate healthy sleep requires not only duration, but also appropriate timing, daily regularity, and good sleep quality
  • Like all of us, teens have a natural "body clock" or circadian clock that impacts the timing of their sleep. Our internal body clock changes during the teen years, causing teens to naturally stay up later before feeling tired, then not feeling alert until later in the morning. 
  • The need for healthy sleep is further complicated by use of screen devices, social influences, and busy activity schedules. 
Insufficient sleep
  • higher risk for health problems, including obesity, diabetes, depression, hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder, and injuries/accidents
  • higher risk for behavioral problems, including poor impulse control, decreased motivation, inattention
Academically, insufficient sleep has been associated with:
  • difficulties in school, including memory, learning, poorer grades, sleepiness in class, disciplinary problems