Getting enough sleep is critical for teenagers. During adolescence, the body goes through many physical and neurological changes that require adequate rest. Most health experts recommend that teens get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. However, many teens struggle to get enough sleep on a regular basis. This raises the question: is 7 hours of sleep enough for the average teenager?
How Much Sleep Do Teenagers Need?
The recommended amount of sleep for teenagers is 8 to 10 hours per night. This recommendation comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Teenagers need more sleep than adults because their bodies and brains go through many developmental changes during adolescence. Some of the reasons why teens need extra sleep include:
- Growth spurts – adolescent growth spurts require extra energy and repair that happens during deep sleep stages.
- Brain development – the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which controls planning and decision making, goes through rapid development and requires downtime during sleep.
- Hormone changes – puberty brings shifts in hormone levels that can make it harder for teens to fall and stay asleep.
Medical experts caution that getting less than 8 hours of sleep regularly can be detrimental to a teenager’s health, school performance, safety, and mental wellbeing.
Consequences of Insufficient Sleep for Teens
When teenagers do not get enough quality sleep on a regular basis, they are at risk for several problems:
- Poor academic performance – sleep deprivation impairs memory, focus, attention and learning. Teens who skimp on sleep have lower grades and do worse on standardized tests.
- Behavior issues – lack of sleep causes irritability, mood swings, aggression, and difficulty controlling emotions.
- Accidents and injuries – drowsy driving and clumsiness from insufficient sleep put teens at greater risk for vehicular accidents, falls, sports injuries, and other trauma.
- Weakened immune system – sleep deprivation reduces the body’s ability to fight infections and heal from illness.
- Obesity and diabetes – lack of sleep disrupts appetite hormones and metabolism, increasing risks of weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
- Depression and anxiety – inadequate sleep negatively impacts mood and mental health.
- Drug and alcohol abuse – sleep-deprived teens are more likely to use stimulants, sleeping pills, and alcohol as a way to manage their fatigue.
In rare cases, chronic severe sleep deprivation can lead to more serious health consequences like heart disease, stroke, and seizures. But even at lower levels, insufficient sleep can significantly impact a teen’s health, safety, wellbeing, and success in school.
How Much Sleep Are Teenagers Actually Getting?
Despite needing 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night, most teenagers in the United States get far less. Here are some statistics on teen sleep patterns from the CDC:
- Only about 20% of high school students sleep at least 8 hours on school nights.
- About 40% of high school students sleep less than 7 hours on school nights.
- On weekends and other non-school nights, only about 30% of teenagers get at least 8 hours of sleep.
A major survey by the CDC found that nearly three-quarters of U.S. high school students are chronically sleep-deprived, meaning they do not get enough sleep on a regular basis. Among middle schoolers, the rate of chronic insufficient sleep is about 58%.
Boys and girls have similar rates of insufficient sleep during the teenage years. However, sleep patterns tend to shift as teens get older. Younger adolescents in middle school tend to not get enough total sleep, while older teens in high school are more likely to struggle with inconsistent bedtimes between school nights and weekends.
Why Aren’t Teenagers Getting Enough Sleep?
There are many interrelated factors that contribute to chronic sleep deprivation in teens:
- Biological factors – melatonin release and circadian rhythms shift during puberty, making teens prone to staying up later at night.
- School start times – early high school and middle school start times often conflict with teens’ natural sleep cycles.
- After-school activities – homework, sports, jobs, and socializing cut into evening downtime and delay bedtimes.
- Digital media use – screens emit blue light that suppresses melatonin; social media and gaming are stimulating.
- Caffeine intake – many teens drink coffee, energy drinks, or soda close to bedtime.
- Poor sleep habits – teens often have irregular bedtimes and use their beds for non-sleep activities like watching TV or doing homework.
- Mental health issues – anxiety, depression, and stress can make it hard for teens to fall and stay asleep.
Pressures to perform well at school and in extracurricular activities also motivate some teenagers to skimp on sleep and sacrifice rest. Many teens view sleep as expendable when they have a lot going on in their lives.
Is 7 Hours of Sleep Enough?
Getting 7 hours of sleep is slightly better than the average amount of sleep that teenagers currently get. However, 7 hours is still not enough for the optimal physical health, brain function, and wellbeing of adolescents. Here is a more detailed look at how getting only 7 hours of sleep impacts teenagers:
Cognitive Effects
- Impairs learning ability and academic performance
- Reduces ability to focus, pay attention, and retain information
- Slows reaction times and critical thinking skills
- Increases lapses in memory, judgment, and decision making
Physical Effects
- Increases risk of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes
- Weakens immune system and ability to fight infections
- Exacerbates chronic conditions like asthma and acne
- Raises risk of accidents, injuries, and clumsiness
Mental Health Effects
- Worsens mood swings, irritability, and aggressive tendencies
- Increases risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation
- May trigger onset of psychiatric disorders
- Elevates risk of substance abuse
Social Effects
- Damages relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners
- Causes conflicts due to emotional volatility and aggressiveness
- Impairs ability to read social cues and body language
- Increases social isolation and feelings of loneliness
While most teens feel subjectively “fine” after getting just 7 hours of sleep, research clearly demonstrates that this amount is inadequate for good health, mood, academic achievement, and quality of life. Teenagers who regularly get only 7 hours of sleep face significant risks to their physical, cognitive, and psychosocial wellbeing.
Tips for Teenagers to Get More Quality Sleep
Here are some tips that can help teenagers get the recommended 8 to 10 hours of quality sleep they need each night:
- Maintain a consistent bedtime and wake time, even on weekends.
- Limit digital media use in the evenings and stop screen use 1 hour before bed.
- Avoid stimulants like caffeinated drinks, energy drinks, and certain medications after about 4pm.
- Create a relaxing pre-bedtime routine like taking a bath, reading, or meditating.
- Make sure the sleep environment is cool, dark, and quiet.
- Don’t eat big meals close to bedtime.
- Get regular exercise, but not within 3 hours of bedtime.
- Manage stress through healthy outlets like therapy, yoga, or journaling.
- Talk to a doctor if chronic insomnia or other medical issues disrupt sleep.
Many teens also benefit from taking short naps of no more than 30 minutes in the mid-afternoon. Napping can help make up for lost sleep without interfering with nighttime sleep patterns. But napping is not a substitute for getting regular, quality sleep at night.
The Risks of Chronic Sleep Deprivation
Getting sufficient sleep is not a luxury – it is an absolute necessity for the healthy growth and development of teenagers. Chronic insufficient sleep puts teens at significant risk for:
- Poor academic performance
- Difficulty concentrating and learning
- Accidents, injuries, and physical health issues
- Impaired driving ability
- Anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts
- Behavior problems
- Strained relationships
- Alcohol and drug abuse
In rare cases, fatal outcomes can occur from the effects of severe, long-term sleep deprivation. For example, the risk of fatal car accidents increases sharply for drivers who get less than 4 hours of sleep. Extreme sleep deprivation also exacerbates mental illnesses like depression and schizophrenia.
Getting healthy sleep should be a top priority for all teenagers and their parents. On a nightly basis, teens need to be getting 8 to 10 hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep. Occasionally getting only 7 hours is not necessarily harmful. But regularly sleeping just 7 hours or less can significantly jeopardize a teenager’s health, safety, mental health, and academic achievement.
The Importance of Sleep Education
One of the best ways to ensure teens get enough sleep is to provide education on good sleep habits. Sleep education can cover topics like:
- The health risks of insufficient sleep
- Recommended sleep durations for teens
- Effects of caffeine, alcohol, drugs, and medications on sleep
- Creating an ideal sleep environment
- Strategies for winding down before bedtime
- Managing irregular sleep schedules
- Treatment options for sleep disorders
- Balancing homework, activities, and sleep
Sleep education should happen both at home and as part of health education programs in middle schools and high schools. When teens understand the critical importance of getting enough quality sleep, they are more likely to make sleep a priority.
The Role of Parents and Schools
Parents, teachers, school administrators, coaches, and healthcare providers all need to take an active role in promoting healthy sleep habits in teenagers. Some specific steps that can help teens get adequate sleep include:
- Setting reasonable limits around digital media use in the evenings
- Encouraging teens to avoid caffeine after mid-afternoon
- Working with teens to establish earlier, more consistent bedtimes
- Starting high school classes later in the morning
- Educating teens, parents, and teachers about sleep
- Talking to a doctor if a teen’s sleep problems persist
With supportive guidance from caring adults, teenagers can develop the knowledge and habits to prioritize getting the amount of sleep their growing bodies and minds need.
The Bottom Line
Getting just 7 hours of sleep is insufficient and risky for the vast majority of teenagers. Teens who regularly get only 7 hours of sleep face impairments to their mental health, physical health, academics, driving ability, social lives, and quality of life. While an occasional night with just 7 hours of sleep won’t cause lasting damage, it is not enough for teens night after night.
Teenagers need between 8 and 10 hours of quality sleep every night to function at their best. Insufficient chronic sleep puts teenagers at significant risk for problems at school, in their relationships, and with their physical and mental health. Parents, educators, doctors, and communities need to take active steps to help ensure teens prioritize getting to bed early enough to get the sleep their growing, developing bodies require.
