How late does the average teenager stay up?
With most high schools starting classes at 7:30 a.m., this usually means that teenagers need to be up around 6 a.m., placing their ideal bedtime around 8:45-9:30 p.m. But most teens don't go to bed until around 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Which begs the question: If they're so exhausted from lack of sleep, why don't they just go ...
An ideal schedule for most teens might be something like bedtime of 11 p.m. and wake-up time of 8 a.m. However, most middle and high schools in the United States start at or before 8 a.m, forcing many teens to wake up by 6:30 a.m. or earlier, hours before their biological rhythms tell them they are ready and hours ...
The body releases the sleep hormone melatonin later at night in teens than in kids and adults. This resets the body's internal sleep clock so that teens fall asleep later at night and wake up later in the morning. Most teens just aren't sleepy enough for bed before 11 p.m.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.
The major reasons for sleep deprivation in teens are biology, screen time and unreasonable expectations. Because of hormone changes, teens are more awake at midnight and would wake at 10 or 11am if they didn't have to get to school.
Research suggests this trait is primarily genetic. Some people naturally have late chronotypes, meaning they prefer to go to sleep later in the night and wake up later in the morning. Meanwhile, those with early chronotypes prefer to go to bed and wake up earlier.
— is much more definitive, say the experts. Yes, unless you are absolutely sure your teenager is able to put the phone away (and not pick it up) at bedtime. That's because screens and sleep do not mix. The light emitted by the typical screen inhibits the production of melatonin in our brains.
Once you know that it takes roughly 30 minutes, on average, for the brain to fully awaken and reach its max functionality, you can plan to get up at least that far in advance of having to take a work call or do anything else requiring your full attention.
For teenagers, Kelley says that, generally speaking, 13- to 16-year-olds should be in bed by 11.30pm. However, our school system needs a radical overhaul to work with teenagers' biological clocks. “If you're 13 to 15 you should be in school at 10am, so that means you're waking up at 8am.
Structure is important. Teenagers need structure, explains Duffy, a Chicago-based psychologist and author of The Available Parent: Radical Optimism for Raising Teens and Tweens. “Sleeping the day away can drive some poor habits. So, difficult as it is, I strongly encourage parents to wake teenagers up on the weekends.
Why can't teenagers wake up?
For virtually all adolescents, the secretion of melatonin (the body clock's sleeping pill ) doesn't begin until about 11 pm and continues until about 8 am. This means that most teenagers simply can't fall asleep until this secretion begins, and find it impossible to wake up until the melatonin turns off.
DEAR CONCERNED: It is not appropriate for parents to co-sleep with adolescent children, partly because adolescents need and deserve some privacy, as they engage in the developmentally important process of figuring out who they are and what they're about.
| Wake-up time | Bedtime: 7.5 hours of sleep (5 cycles) | Bedtime: 9 hours of sleep (6 cycles) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 a.m. | 9:15 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 5:15 a.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| 5:30 a.m. | 9:45 p.m. | 8:15 p.m. |
| 5:45 a.m. | 10 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
For most people, 4 hours of sleep per night isn't enough to wake up feeling rested and mentally alert, no matter how well they sleep. There's a common myth that you can adapt to chronically restricted sleep, but there's no evidence that the body functionally adapts to sleep deprivation.
Teenagers' bodies are growing at the fastest rate since they were toddlers, and the hormonal changes that are taking place are huge. Another normal reason for seemingly perpetual sleepiness is a biological shift in the circadian — the Body Clock. During puberty, the normal sleep patterns shift to later.
Stress about school and life keeps 68 percent of students awake at night - 20 percent of them at least once a week. Stress affects the quality of their sleep far more than alcohol, caffeine or late-night electronics use, a new study shows.
According to Medical News Today, around 20 percent of students pull all-nighters at least once a month, and about 35 percent stay up past three in the morning once or more weekly. That being said, staying up all night to study is one of the worst things students can do for their grades.
The study also found that college students go to bed at about 12:20 a.m. on weekdays, which is later than the high school senior's average time of 11 p.m.
hormonal time shift – puberty hormones shift the teenager's body clock forward by about one or two hours, making them sleepier one to two hours later. Yet, while the teenager falls asleep later, early school starts don't allow them to sleep in.
In general, you should not let your teen sleep all day. Your teenage child should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours—9 hours of sleep is the ideal number. On an occasional day, when they're exhausted, let them sleep and recover—this might actually be good for teenagers.
Is staying up late good for you?
By providing more time to work or study, an all-nighter might seem helpful at first glance. In reality, though, staying up all night is harmful to effective thinking, mood, and physical health. These effects on next-day performance mean that pulling an all-nighter rarely pays off.
For teenagers, Kelley says that, generally speaking, 13- to 16-year-olds should be in bed by 11.30pm. However, our school system needs a radical overhaul to work with teenagers' biological clocks. “If you're 13 to 15 you should be in school at 10am, so that means you're waking up at 8am.
Sleep research suggests that a teenager needs between eight and 10 hours of sleep every night. This is more than the amount a child or an adult needs. Yet most adolescents only get about 6.5 – 7.5 hours sleep per night, and some get less. Regularly not getting enough sleep leads to chronic sleep deprivation.
The answer depends on your teen and your own situation. A 13-year-old may need more help going to sleep at an appropriate hour, and parents can help. A 17-year-old shouldn't need as many reminders about good sleep habits. Rather than give an older teen a strict bedtime, it's better to educate your teen.
Most teens need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night. Getting the right amount of sleep is important for anyone who wants to do well on a test or play their best in sports. Unfortunately, many teens don't get enough sleep.
Teens should try to go to bed between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. Adults should try to go to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.
— is much more definitive, say the experts. Yes, unless you are absolutely sure your teenager is able to put the phone away (and not pick it up) at bedtime. That's because screens and sleep do not mix. The light emitted by the typical screen inhibits the production of melatonin in our brains.
For most people, 4 hours of sleep per night isn't enough to wake up feeling rested and mentally alert, no matter how well they sleep. There's a common myth that you can adapt to chronically restricted sleep, but there's no evidence that the body functionally adapts to sleep deprivation.
Sleep Changes in Older Adults. Most healthy older adults aged 65 or older need 7-8 hours of sleep each night to feel rested and alert.
Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults—7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night.
How much sleep do 50 year olds need?
| Age Group | Recommended Hours of Sleep Per Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 0–3 months | 14–17 hours (National Sleep Foundation)1 No recommendation (American Academy of Sleep Medicine)2 |
| Adult | 18–60 years | 7 or more hours per night3 |
| 61–64 years | 7–9 hours1 | |
| 65 years and older | 7–8 hours1 | |
PARENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
A parent has both the legal right and the duty to control their 16- or 17-year old children, unless they are emancipated.
Yes. Parents should take away their child's cell phone at night. Doing so allows children to complete homework without distractions and sleep soundly without disruptions. Keeping cell phones in a common area can also cut down on behavioral problems and disorders caused by too much cell phone use.
Consider their emotional maturity and sense of responsibility. For many kids, 16 seems to be an appropriate age, but it may be entirely suitable for a mature 15-year-old to go on a date, or to make your immature 16-year-old wait a year or two. You can also consider what other parents are doing.
Ideally, you should try to get more than 90 minutes of sleep. Sleeping between 90 and 110 minutes gives your body time to complete one full sleep cycle and can minimize grogginess when you wake. But any sleep is better than not at all — even if it's a 20-minute nap. For more sleep support, check out our sleep shop.
Is 3 hours enough? This will depend largely on how your body responds to resting this way. Some people are able to function on only 3 hours very well and actually perform better after sleeping in bursts. Though many experts do still recommend a minimum of 6 hours a night, with 8 being preferable.
DEAR CONCERNED: It is not appropriate for parents to co-sleep with adolescent children, partly because adolescents need and deserve some privacy, as they engage in the developmentally important process of figuring out who they are and what they're about.
