Teen sleep: why teens need more and fall asleep later

• Teens aged 13 to 18 need 8 to 10 hours of sleep.
• Teen body clocks naturally shift later.
• AAP: school should start at 8:30 a.m. or later.
• Evening screens make the problem worse.

How much sleep teens need

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teens aged 13 to 18 sleep 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis (Paruthi et al., 2016). Most U.S. teens get much less.

Why teens fall asleep late

During puberty, melatonin release shifts later in the evening, so teens naturally feel sleepy later. Early school start times then cut their sleep short. The American Academy of Pediatrics called chronic sleep loss in adolescents a public health issue and recommended that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later (AAP Adolescent Sleep Working Group, 2014). California became the first state to require later start times in 2022.

Evening screens add to the delay: reading on a light-emitting device before bed delayed sleep and suppressed melatonin compared with a printed book (Chang et al., 2015).

What parents can do

• Encourage a consistent bedtime and wake time, including on weekends.
• Charge phones and laptops outside the bedroom at night.
• Encourage morning daylight and daytime activity.
• Limit caffeine and energy drinks.
• Advocate for later school start times in your district.