According to the National Sleep Foundation:
– Biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence — meaning it may natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00 pm.
– Teens need about 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night to function best (for some, 8 1/2 hours is enough). Most teens do not get enough sleep — one study found that only 15% reported sleeping 8 1/2 hours on school nights.
– Teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week — they typically stay up late and sleep in late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep.
– Many teens suffer from treatable sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea.
If there are any concerns of difficulty sleeping or sleepiness in daytime, ask your primary care physician if a Sleep Medicine Consultation would be appropriate for you.
