Sleep and the Brain: Why Teenagers Need More Rest Than They Think
- MedReport Foundation
- 20 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Jason Peng
If you are a teen or an adult, you have most likely had nights with less than 8 hours, either staying up doing schoolwork or just unable to sleep. This is common among many teens, and there is actually something going on in the body that makes it harder for teens to sleep early. Many teens think that they can get away with just 4 or 5 hours of sleep, but getting less than 8 hours can have significant health effects involving daily life and school. 7 out of 10 high school students do not get enough sleep on school nights, and many do not recognize the effects that it has (1).
Why Teenagers Naturally Sleep Later
Teens around the world struggle with falling asleep not only on school nights, but even on the weekends. This is common, and is caused by a biological process in the body (3,4). Puberty is one of these reasons, and the main effect is a shift in the body’s internal clock, called the circadian rhythm (4,5). You may have heard this term being thrown around, but pretty much it is your body's internal, natural 24-hour biological clock that regulates essential functions, including sleeping and waking up (4). Puberty can cause melatonin production, which makes you sleep, about 2 hours later than children or adults. This is called sleep phase delay (5). These changes combined with school, work, and extracurriculars, and it becomes increasingly difficult for teens to get a healthy amount of sleep (5).
What Happens When Teens Do Not Sleep Enough
Many teens struggle with the issue of not sleeping enough, but not many know about the effects that it can have on both the body and the brain. To start, it is recommended for teenagers to get 8-10 hours of sleep per night, and this can help with learning, memory, emotional regulation, and many more (2,3). That list could cover this entire article. However, because of external and internal factors combining, teens are often getting too little sleep (4,5). Sleep loss
has been shown to make emotional control harder by weakening communication between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, and has also been shown to affect reward and dopamine systems as well as cognitive control, which may increase impulsive decisions and risk taking (4). Poor sleep is linked with decreased academic performance, which many teens need to keep regulated if they want to do well in school (2,5). Even the smallest changes in sleep time can affect performance and bodily functions. Studies show that adding 30 minutes of sleep can increase alertness, but restricting sleep by 1 hour leads to worsened alertness and cognitive performance (2). The effects to the body include a weakened immune system, weight gain, and cardiovascular strain (2).
Why This Is a Public Health Problem, Not Just a Teen Problem
While teens are going through this issue of having to sleep later and wake up later because of their body, most schools can disrupt the recommended 8-10 hours by starting earlier than 8:30, which is a major cause of teen sleep deprivation (5). Because teens have difficulty sleeping before 11 pm and many students need to get up at around 6 am, that leads to 6 to 7 hours of sleep, which is not enough for most teens (5). Later school starts can increase total sleep and may improve daytime alertness, attendance, mood, academic performance, and safety (5). Teen sleep loss is not just about bad habits or laziness. It is a mix of brain development, biology, school schedules, and daily choices, which is why sleep should be treated as part of teen health.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sleep in Middle and High School Students. CDC Archive. Last reviewed September 10, 2020. Available from:
https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/healthyschools/features/students-sleep.htm 2. Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, Hall WA, Kotagal S, Lloyd RM, et al. Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the Recommended Amount of Sleep for Healthy Children: Methodology and Discussion. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2016;12(11):1549-1561. Available from:
3. Tarokh L, Saletin JM, Carskadon MA. Sleep in Adolescence: Physiology, Cognition and Mental Health. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2016;70:182-188. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27531236/
4. Uccella S, Cordani R, Salfi F, Gorgoni M, Scarpelli S, Gemignani A, et al. Sleep Deprivation and Insomnia in Adolescence: Implications for Mental Health. Brain Sciences. 2023;13(4):569. Available from:
5. Adolescent Sleep Working Group; Committee on Adolescence; Council on School Health. School Start Times for Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2014;134(3):642-649. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8194457/
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