At a glance
- Getting enough sleep contributes to a student’s overall health and well-being.
- Students should get the proper amount of sleep at night to help stay focused, improve concentration, and improve academic performance.
- Good sleep hygiene, combined with later school times, helps adolescents be healthier and be better academic achievers.
Overview
Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for many health problems. Examples include obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, and injuries. These children are also more likely to have attention and behavior problems, which can lead to poor academic performance in school.
Facts
How much sleep do students need?
How much sleep someone needs depends on their age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has made the following recommendations for children and adolescents:
Insufficient sleep among students
A CDC study revealed data from the 2015 national and state Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. The study shows that most middle school and high school students reported getting less than the recommended amount of sleep for their age.
Middle school students (grades 6–8)
- Students in 9 states were included in the study.
- About 6 out of 10 students (57.8%) did not get enough sleep on school nights.
High school students (grades 9–12)
- Results are from a national sample.
- About 7 out of 10 students (72.7%) did not get enough sleep on school nights.
Recommendations
In 2014, American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that middle schools and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 AM. This can allow adolescents to get the sleep they need. The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and other medical associations have since made recommendations. They also support delaying school start times for adolescents.
Common questions
Provide sleep education
Schools can add sleep education to the K–12 curriculum to help children and adolescents learn why sleep is important for health. Lessons in sleep patterns and sleep disorders, snoring, drowsy driving, and insomnia are among topics teachers can cover in the classroom. These lessons can help students develop healthy sleep habits.
School sleep education programs may result in:
- Significantly longer weekday and weekend total sleep time.
- Improved sleep hygiene (habits that support good sleep).
However, more research is needed to know how best to maintain these improvements long term. One possible strategy is to have refresher sessions for students.
Review school start times
The combination of late bedtimes and early school start times results in most adolescents not getting enough sleep. In recent years, studies showed that later school start times for adolescents result in more students getting enough sleep.
School officials can learn more about the research connecting sleep and school start times. School districts can support adequate sleep among students by implementing delayed school start times, as recommended by medical societies.
- Model and encourage habits that promote good sleep. Set a regular bedtime and rise time, including on weekends, for everyone—children, adolescents, and adults alike.
- Keep in mind that adolescents with parent-set bedtimes usually get more sleep than those whose parents do not set bedtimes.
- Dim lighting. Adolescents exposed to more light (room lighting, or lighting from electronics) in the evening are less likely to get enough sleep.
- Set a media curfew. Technology use (computers, video gaming, or mobile phones) may also contribute to late bedtimes. Parents should consider banning technology use after a certain time, or removing these technologies from the bedroom.
- Educate adolescent patients and their parents about the importance of adequate sleep, and factors that contribute to insufficient sleep among adolescents.
Resources
Sleep education
- CDC | Sleep and Sleep Disorders
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine | Sleep Education for School
- Sleep Recharges You: Educator Resources
School start times
- FastStats: Sleep in Children
- FastStats: Sleep in High School Students
- Start School Later | Learn More
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- Bartel KA, Gradisar M, Williamson P. Protective and risk factors for adolescent sleep: a meta-analytic review. Sleep Med Rev. 2015;21:72–85.
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- Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D'Ambrosio C, et al. Consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the recommended amount of sleep for healthy children: methodology and discussion. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016;12(11):1549–1561.
- Owens J; Adolescent Sleep Working Group; Committee on Adolescence. Insufficient sleep in adolescents and young adults: an update on causes and consequences. Pediatrics. 2014;134:e921–e932.
- Lowry R, Eaton DK, Foti K, McKnight-Eily L, Perry G, Galuska DA. Association of sleep duration with obesity among US high school students. J Obes. 2012;2012:476914.
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- Adolescent Sleep Working Group, Committee on Adolescence, Council on School Health. Policy statement: school start times for adolescents. Pediatrics. 2014;134(3):642–649.
- American Medical Association. AMA supports delayed school start times to improve adolescent wellness. 2016. Accessed September 25, 2024. https://www.ama-assn.org/ama-supports-delayed-school-start-times-improve-adolescent-wellness
- Watson NF, Martin JL, Wise MS, et al. Delaying middle school and high school start times promotes student health and performance: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(4):623–625.
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