How Many Hours Should a Teenager Sleep?

Without proper amounts of sleep, teenagers do themselves harm.

Not Enough Sleep

Sleepiness has a negative impact on memory, awareness and reaction time. For these reasons, teenagers who get seven hours of sleep or less per night are less productive in school, which can lead to lower grades. When combining driving inexperience with fatigue, teens who sleep less are also more susceptible to car accidents.

Too Much Sleep

Teenagers who spend more than 10 hours in bed per day may also be doing themselves harm. Oversleeping can result in a teen being wide awake well into the night, resulting in sleep deprivation if he has to wake up for school the next day. This can lead to an unending cycle of getting too much sleep one day and not enough the next.

Bottom Line

A teenager should get an average of nine hours of sleep per night. This amount is optimal for remaining alert throughout the day without being awake all night. Stronger levels of awareness can improve a teen's standing in school and reduce the chances of auto accidents.

References

• Canadian Paediatric Society: Teens and sleep
• American Psychological Association: Sleep deprivation may be undermining teen health
• CBC News: Too much sleep as harmful as not enough: study