Chances Are Your Teen Isn’t Getting Nearly Enough Sleep, According To A New Survey

There are few things in this world worse than a cranky, sleep-deprived teen — and it turns out that most teens are falling into this bucket. Nope, not just according to ever-suffering parents of teens — a report from the CDC has found that more than 3 in 4 high school students aren’t getting enough sleep.

The new report is based on a survey analyzing a decade of changes in youth risk behavior, focusing on the diets, physical wellbeing, and sleep patterns of high school students.

The survey found that high schoolers have been getting less and less sleep over the past decade, with 32% getting eight hours or more in 2013, down to only 23% in 2023.

Sleep patterns in 2023 differed across demographics. LGBTQ+ students were the least likely to get a good night’s rest compared to their peers, with only 16% cracking the eight-hour mark. Female students were slightly less well-rested than male students (22% of female students got 8 hours of sleep, compared to 25% for male students). And multiracial (17%), Asian (19%) and Black students (19%) slept the least compared to other racial or ethnic groups — meanwhile, an impressive 36% of American Indian or Alaskan Native students got eight plus hours.

The CDC recommends that most teens get eight to 10 hours of sleep each night. Getting enough sleep has been proven to reduce stress and improve mood, while having positive effects on heart health, metabolism and the body’s ability to fight illness. A lack of sleep has been linked to an increased risk of chronic illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

So, think twice before you shake your teen awake on a rare, blessed Saturday with no early morning soccer practice. Sure, you’d hate to see them “waste the day,” but getting an extra hour or two of shut-eye might just be the best possible use of their time.