Sleep changes during adolescence. As teens go through puberty, their internal body clock naturally shifts, making them feel sleepy later at night and often making it harder to wake up early in the morning. This biological change can conflict with early school start times and busy schedules, leaving many teens without enough sleep.

Getting sufficient sleep is essential for healthy brain development, learning, emotional wellbeing, and physical health. Yet school demands, social activities, and screen use can make it difficult for teens to get the recommended 8–10 hours of sleep each night.

Understanding how sleep changes during adolescence can help teens and families develop healthier sleep habits. This page explains what healthy teen sleep looks like, the challenges teens commonly face, and when to seek additional support.

During sleep, the brain processes information and experiences from the day, helping teens learn new skills and strengthen memories. Adequate sleep also supports mood and stress regulation, making it easier to manage emotions and cope with daily challenges.

When teens do not get enough sleep, they may struggle with concentration, motivation, and decision-making. Insufficient sleep is also associated with poorer academic performance, increased depressive symptoms, and risk-taking behaviors. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to physical health problems, including obesity and diabetes, and increase the risk of injuries and motor vehicle accidents.

Getting enough sleep helps teens stay healthy, perform well at school, and navigate the physical and emotional changes of adolescence.

Most teens aged 13–18 need 8–10 hours of sleep each night. However, biological changes during adolescence naturally shift sleep timing later, making it harder for many teens to fall asleep early and wake up in the morning.

Common sleep patterns during adolescence include:

• Feeling more alert later in the evening
• Difficulty falling asleep at an early bedtime
• Trouble waking up for school
• Sleeping longer on weekends or school breaks

This later sleep pattern can become a problem when teens need to wake early for school. For example, a teen who falls asleep at 11:30 p.m. and wakes at 6:00 a.m. gets only 6.5 hours of sleep, well below the recommended amount. Over time, this can lead to accumulated sleep debt, affecting mood, concentration, and daytime functioning.

Sleeping longer on weekends can help teens recover some lost sleep. However, large differences between weekday and weekend sleep schedules can shift the body clock even later, making it harder to fall asleep on Sunday night and wake up on Monday morning. This mismatch between biological sleep timing and social schedules is often called social jet lag.

The circadian rhythm is the body’s internal 24-hour clock. It helps regulate when we feel sleepy or alert, as well as body temperature, hormone release, and other essential functions. Light is one of the strongest signals that helps keep this internal clock in sync with the day-night cycle.

During adolescence, the body clock naturally shifts later. Melatonin, a hormone that signals the body to prepare for sleep, is released later in the evening. As a result, many teens feel more alert at night and find it harder to fall asleep early or wake up in the morning.

This biological shift can conflict with early school start times, leaving teens with too little sleep even when they try to maintain a regular bedtime.

Light exposure also influences sleep timing. Morning daylight helps keep the body clock aligned with an earlier schedule, while bright light from screens and indoor lighting in the evening can delay melatonin release and make it harder to fall asleep.

Healthy sleep is about more than getting enough hours of rest. It also involves when teens sleep, how consistently they follow a sleep schedule, and how well they feel and function during the day. The goal is not perfect sleep every night, but a regular pattern that supports health and wellbeing.

Some changes in sleep patterns are normal during adolescence. However, persistent sleep difficulties can affect a teen’s health, mood, and daily functioning. Understanding the common challenges can help teens and families find ways to improve sleep.

Common teen sleep challenges include:

• Short sleep on school nights: Many teens do not get the recommended amount of sleep. About 7 in 10 US high school students and about 6 in 10 US middle school students do not get enough sleep on school nights
• Late-shifted body clock: A later sleep-wake pattern is common during adolescence. For some teens, the delay becomes significant enough to interfere with school, work, family life, or mental health. In some cases, this may indicate delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, a condition in which the body’s internal clock is persistently out of sync with daily schedules.
• School, work, and sport start times: Teens may get enough good-quality sleep when they can follow their preferred schedule, but early start times can make this difficult.
• Screens and evening light: Phones, computers, gaming systems, and television can delay bedtime by taking up time, increasing mental stimulation, and exposing teens to blue light that may shift their body clock later. Balanced screen use and protecting time to wind down before bed can help.
• Stress, mental health, busy schedules: Academic pressure, social stress, sports, jobs, and caregiving responsibilities can all affect sleep. The relationship works both ways, as good sleep also supports emotional wellbeing and the ability to cope with stress.
• Caffeine and energy drinks: Coffee, energy drinks, tea, soda, chocolate, and some medications or supplements contain caffeine. Consuming caffeine later in the day, particularly after midday or early afternoon, can make it harder to fall asleep at night.

Supporting healthy sleep in teens means respecting both their biology and the demands of daily life. Teens need practical strategies rather than blame or criticism. Parents and caregivers should recognize that changes in sleep patterns are a natural part of adolescent development and are not simply a matter of motivation or laziness.

Helpful steps to support healthy sleep include:

• Keeping bedtimes and wake times reasonably consistent, including on weekends
• Avoiding very long weekend sleep-ins when possible
• Creating a short, repeatable wind-down routine before bedtime
• Getting bright morning light to support alertness and regulate the body clock
• Dimming lights in the evening to help prepare for sleep
• Keeping the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet at night
• Keeping phones off and out of the bedroom during sleep hours
• Using a traditional alarm clock instead of a phone to reduce the temptation to check messages or use screens at night
• Planning homework, sports, and other activities to leave enough time for the recommended 8–10 hours of sleep

Getting enough sleep is important for keeping teens safe as they become more independent. Insufficient sleep can affect alertness, reaction times, and decision-making, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries during everyday activities.

Practical steps to support sleep safety include:

• Take precautions during sports and other activities: Fatigue can affect coordination and reaction times, increasing the risk of injuries during sports or activities that require sustained attention.
• Protect sleep before early mornings: Late nights followed by early school starts can leave teens excessively tired, affecting their alertness and ability to participate safely in daily activities.
• Use sleep medications safely: Teens should not use over-the-counter sleep aids, melatonin, or other sleep medications without guidance from a healthcare professional.
• Avoid alcohol and other substances: Alcohol, cannabis, and other substances can impair alertness and judgment, disrupt sleep, and increase the risk of accidents.
• Address unusual nighttime behaviors: If a teen sleepwalks or experiences other behaviors that could cause injury, keep the sleeping environment free of hazards and seek medical advice.
• Avoid drowsy driving: For teens who drive, sleepiness can significantly increase the risk of accidents. They should never drive when struggling to stay alert and should stop somewhere safe if they become drowsy while driving.

Sleep-related safety risks can often be reduced by recognizing signs of excessive sleepiness and protecting enough time for rest. Persistent daytime sleepiness or sleep-related behaviors that put a teen at risk of injury should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

Consider talking with a healthcare professional if your teen’s sleep problems persist, worsen, or begin to affect their health, mood, school attendance, or daily activities.

Signs that your teen may need additional support include:

• Regular snoring, gasping, choking, or pauses in breathing during sleep
• Excessive daytime sleepiness, such as falling asleep in class or during conversations
• Persistent difficulty waking that leads to frequent school absences or lateness
• A sleep schedule that is consistently delayed by several hours and difficult to change
• Significant changes in mood, anxiety, behavior, or attention
• Unusual movements, behaviors, nightmares, or confusion during sleep
• Sleep problems related to pain, medical conditions, or medications

Red Flags: Some symptoms require more immediate attention:

• Falling asleep while driving or during other activities where sleepiness could put your teen or others at risk
• Severe daytime sleepiness that makes it difficult to function safely
• Significant emotional distress, thoughts of self-harm, or behaviors that put your teen’s safety at risk
• Seek urgent professional help if your teen is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others.

You do not need to know what is causing your teen’s sleep difficulties before asking for help. Many sleep problems can be treated, and getting support can help your teen develop healthier sleep patterns.