How Many Hours of Sleep Do Teenagers Need to Grow?

Teenagers have busy lives filled with many activities and endeavors. With this elevated level of hustle, sleep becomes even more important for growing adolescents. By knowing the recommended sleep requirements for teenagers, you can help ensure that your youngster gets enough sleep to grow and function positively throughout every day.

  1. Professional Recommendations

    • Teenagers need between 8 1/2 and 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation website. Although teens may appear physically mature, their sleep needs are higher than that of adults. Sufficient sleep is important for teens because their bodies and brains continue to develop and mature throughout adolescence, states the Caring for Kids website.

    Circadian Rhythms

    • In puberty, a physiological shift occurs to a teenager̵7;s circadian rhythms, meaning that a teen̵7;s innate sleeping and waking cycle changes, states the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center site. Circadian rhythms for an adolescent generally shift back, creating a tendency to stay up later and wake up later. With this shift, it often becomes difficult for a teen go to sleep until later at night, which usually makes it difficult for the youngster to get up early in the morning after not getting enough sleep.

    Reasons for Sleep Deprivation

    • Several situations converge to create a difficult sleep deficit for teenagers. With a host of diversions and distractions available, teens may have difficulty prioritizing sleep. Electronic games, computers, cellphones and music systems can tempt teens into spending late-night hours with entertainment instead of sleeping. With school hours starting early in the morning, an adolescent won̵7;t get the required amount of sleep, thanks to a late bedtime and early rise time.

    Dangers of Sleep Deprivation

    • As teenagers proceed through their days in a perpetual state of sleep deprivation, significant issues can result, warn experts with the American Psychological Association. Teens might experience problems at school with difficulty concentrating and staying awake in classes. Sleep deprivation might also lead to behavioral and disciplinary problems. Teens who drive might be at risk of injury, or even death, due to drowsiness behind the wheel.

    Helping Teens

    • If your teen needs help resetting her circadian rhythms and getting more sleep, offer some guidance and suggestions. Help your teen figure out what time she needs to go to bed in the evening in order to get at least 9 1/4 hours of sleep and then encourage her to maintain this sleep schedule. Advise your teen to put away the electronics about an hour before bedtime so she can relax -- dimming the lights in her bedroom might help. In the morning, let natural light into the room to help her body awake naturally, suggests the Mayo Clinic website.

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