Teenage Sleep Patterns

Overview

Teens' biological clocks change during puberty. Adolescents and teens tend to fall asleep later at night and to sleep later in the morning than younger children do. This pattern can cause problems, because school schedules often require that teens get up early for classes. Some teens may become sleep deprived. They may:

• Have trouble getting up in the morning.
• Fall asleep during the day.
• Feel tired and grumpy during the day.

Teenagers need about 8 to10 hours of sleep each night.^{footnote 1}

Tips to help your teen

If your teen is showing signs of not getting enough sleep, you can try these tips.

• Talk about how your teen's body is changing.

  Explain the need for more sleep.

• Help your teen set a good sleeping pattern.
• Encourage your teen to finish homework on weekends or during the day.
• Encourage your teen to sleep in on the weekends.
• Suggest after-school naps.
• Help your teen have a quiet bedroom.

  Remind your teen to turn off the TV, computer, cell phone, and other screens.