Teen Sleep Deprivation: Why it happens and How it Affects Teenagers

This section features articles written by invited guest authors.

Blog written by Penny Goodwin, Author of Hold Your Teen Close.

Sleep isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. For our teens’ health and well-being, they need between 8 and 10 hours of high-quality sleep a night, about an hour more than they needed when they were around 10 years old. During adolescence, their circadian rhythms, the 24-hr clock that regulates hormones, resets, making it harder to fall asleep. As a result, they often struggle to fall asleep until much later than they used to. This leaves them feeling tired during the daytime, explaining why they can easily fall asleep in the classroom.

A cosy bedroom designed for relaxation and sleep.

Understanding the Barriers to Sleep

Sleep deprivation is rife amongst teens, with many obstacles preventing them from getting the number of hours needed. With major demands on their time, such as homework, chores, extracurricular activities or babysitting younger siblings, their bedtime ends up being pushed back or their wake time brought forward, which doesn't leave much time for downtime, let alone sleep. Then there is often a long list of weekend activities. For older teens, it's the need to find a job to gain more independence and much-needed money, either for themselves or for their families. On top of that, the all-important time needed to catch up with family and friends. 

The Scale of Teen Sleep Deprivation

Studies have shown that approximately 90% of American teenagers are sleep deprived, as are nearly 50% of all UK citizens, including adults. “Sleep deprivation is a very real and very serious issue affecting a far greater number of both primary and secondary school students than we think.” “19% felt satisfied with their sleep every night, 34% said they had an extremely hard time falling asleep almost every night, and 50% said they felt tired or dragged out nearly every day” (Sleep Action, 2022). The Guardian newspaper published an article titled Children’s lack of sleep is a hidden health crisis, which further proves that, as a nation, we don’t tend to take the lack of sleep seriously (The Guardian, 2018).

The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Thinking and Emotions

Being tired at school or home, unable to concentrate, especially when making decisions, is difficult for our teens, particularly if they haven't had to make similar decisions before, which is often the case. Have you noticed that when you are sleep deprived, you feel more anxious and you worry about the smallest of things, yet when you aren't tired, these same worries are simply shrugged off without much thought?

The Vicious Cycle Between Sleep, Anxiety, and Mental Health

When it comes to sleep patterns, teens are easily caught in a Catch-22 situation. Conditions such as depression and anxiety can surface due to a lack of sleep, which in turn can disrupt their sleep, causing a vicious circle. Recognising this cycle can help parents and teens begin to take small, meaningful steps towards better sleep. This is why practical sleep strategies are so important in helping teens regain healthier sleep patterns.

These are just some of the insights covered in my book, Hold Your Teen Close, where I go into more depth and include additional tools and explanations.

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