Lack of sleep leads to low concentration and alertness, resulting in poorer grades. Additionally, it decreases your immune system function leading to more likelihood of illness. Research recommends 8½ to 10 hours of sleep each night.


Facts

  • Sleep is vital to your well-being, and can help you to eat better and manage the stress of being a teen.
  • During adolescence, biological sleep patterns move toward later times for both sleeping and waking – so it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00 pm.
  • Teens need around 9 hours of sleep each night to function best. Most teens do not get enough sleep – one study found that only 15% reported sleeping 8½ hours on school nights.
  • Teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week – typically staying up late and sleeping in late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep.

Source: National Sleep Foundation

Read more

  • How much sleep do I need? @ kidshealth.org

    Excerpt: Most teens need about 8½ to more than 9 hours of sleep each night. The right amount of sleep is essential for anyone who wants to do well on a test or play sports without tripping over their feet.

  • Teens and sleep @ National Sleep Foundation

    Excerpt: You can look bad, you may feel moody, and you perform poorly. Sleepiness can make it hard to get along with your family and friends and hurt your scores on school exams, on the court or on the field. When you do not get enough sleep, you are more likely to have an accident, injury and/or illness.