How Many Hours a Night Should a Teenager Sleep?

Getting the right amount of sleep at any age is important.

Wake Up Early

Prior to the late 1990s, many decades of sleep research supported the idea that people need less sleep as they move from adolescence into adulthood. As a result, high schools moved their start times to the early morning hours. Additionally, it was commonly believed that limiting a teenager's sleep time to around eight hours in the developmental years would better prepare her for college life and the nine-to-five work day.

Get a Full Night's Rest

Let your growing teenagers get all the sleep that they can get. Due to the demands of school, work and extracurricular activities, many students are walking through their day exhausted. In 2006, the National Sleep Foundation found that teenagers who get only six to eight hours of sleep suffer from depression, irritability and anxiety. These teens were also likely to fall asleep in class and get lower grades.

Bottom Line

Research conducted by Dr. Amy Wolfson and Dr. Mary Carskadon in 1998 indicates that "adolescents need about 9.2 hours of sleep each night, compared with the 7.5 to 8 hours that adults need."

References

• American Psychological Association: Sleep Deprivation May Be Undermining Teen Health
• Family Education: Teens and Sleep
• Kids Goals: Teens and Sleep