Teen sleep Habits

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Originally published January 25, 2022

After the lockdown, many students struggled to return to a normal middle school sleep schedule. Many habits were acquired, such as more screen time, less exercise, and later bedtimes. As students returned, many were fatigued the first few weeks and had a difficult time getting back on track.

“One-hundred percent,” eighth-grade counselor Mrs. McGowan said, “I do not think students get enough sleep at night.” Teenagers naturally fall asleep later and stay in bed longer, but earlier start times result in a lack of sleep in many middle school students.

Some students have after-school activities and have tighter schedules to balance homework and sleep times.

“I wake up at 4:20 and for regular school days I wake up at six.” eighth-grader Tahj Brice said.

Many students are forced to go to bed earlier to get enough sleep, but this, unfortunately, results in less time for homework and other activities.

There are various reasons why students suffer from a lack of sleep, but one of the biggest issues is electronics, which nearly every teenager has. Cell phones, computers, and video games all keep students awake. “I think that there's a lot of electronics being used at night,” McGowan said, “And so since they're very addictive, it's hard to turn them off sometimes.”

According to Sleep Foundation, “Both the National Sleep Foundation and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine agree that teens need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night.” This is the recommended amount to maintain physical, mental, and emotional health.

It is difficult to find a doable sleep schedule for many, but there are some that may work well for most students. “I feel like a good schedule would be going to sleep at 9:30 p.m. and waking up at 6:30-7 a.m.” Brice said.

One of the biggest difficulties is the shift in the Circadian Rhythm, which regulates what time you fall asleep and wake up. “This makes it more difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m.,” said Hopkins Medicine.

As kids age, recommended sleep times change as well. “From what I've read, [teens] need at least eight hours of sleep at night,” McGowan said. Acknowledging teens’ natural sleep patterns, teens should wake up at around 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., but school start times force students to wake up earlier than what would be healthy.

Because of so many clashing factors, it may be difficult to regulate sleep schedules, and parents are a likely source of regulation in most households. “My mom [regulates my sleep schedule], she makes sure [my family goes] to bed on time,” Brice said.

Because of conflicting sleep schedules and recommended hours, most teens do not get enough sleep each night. “I would say overall, I think that a lot of kids don't get enough sleep at night,” McGowan said.