When asked to assess the current state of teen sleep today, psychotherapist, Heather Turgeon does not hesitate. “It’s not good,” she says. “It’s really not good.”
Increasingly, sleep appears to be a luxury rather than a necessity—especially for teenagers.
“Teens are really the ones who need our help the most,” Turgeon, co-author of Generation Sleepless, told Lianne Castelino during an interview for Where Parents Talk.
“They turn out to be the most sleep-deprived segment of the population. They’re the most sleep-deprived of any generation in history. In human history, there’s never been a group of individuals as sleep-deprived as today’s teenagers, and overlapping with that, what we’re seeing in terms of the mental health issues that have been so widely discussed — those two trends are highly connected, extremely interconnected.”
The Crisis of Sleep Deprivation in Teens
Sleep deprivation among teenagers is not just a phase—it’s a growing public health issue. While nearly 70% of elementary-aged children get enough sleep, only 5 to 10% of high schoolers do. Teens require about 9.25 hours of sleep a night, yet the average 10th grader logs only six hours, accruing a significant sleep debt that impacts their mental and physical health.
“Adolescence is a period of massive brain growth,” Turgeon explains. “It’s like a second wave of reorganization, akin to what happens between ages zero and three. Much of this critical work occurs during sleep.”
Without sufficient rest, teens face impaired brain development, increased anxiety, and higher rates of depression. Alarmingly, teens who sleep fewer than six hours a night are twice as likely to report thoughts of self-harm, underscoring the urgency of this issue.
Why Sleep Is Essential
Contrary to the misconception that sleep is “downtime,” it’s a period of intense activity for the brain and body. “[It’s] a time that certain parts of your brain are really firing extra hard,” says Turgeon. “They’re going extra hard in a way that they don’t during the day, because there’s really important work that happens during sleep.”
Some of that work includes:
- Memory Consolidation: Sleep helps transfer knowledge from short-term to long-term memory, vital for learning and academic success.
- Brain Detoxification: The glymphatic system clears toxins that build up during the day, preventing cognitive fog and sluggishness. As Turgeon notes, “Teens love the analogy of the brain as a dishwasher—it helps them understand why they wake up groggy after a bad night’s sleep.”
- Physical Recovery:Sleep supports growth, immune function, and overall health, making it foundational for both mental and physical well-being.
The Impact of the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted sleep patterns for teens in profound ways. While lockdowns initially allowed them to sleep later, technology quickly became a double-edged sword. Increased screen time for socializing and education interfered with natural sleep rhythms.
“A lot of kids were initially sleeping more because they didn’t have to get up for school,” explains Turgeon. “And then technology kind of just really saturated our lives much more. And then teenagers were kind of back to where they started not sleeping enough and feeling more isolated and like they had lost the rhythms of their daily life, which is so important for sleep.
Coming out the pandemic, however, Turgeon believes there is greater awareness of the importance of sleep, generally, and in particular for the dynamic stage of growth and development that is adolescence.
How Parents Can Help
Turgeon emphasizes that parents play a pivotal role in addressing the sleep crisis. Here are her top strategies:
1. Advocate for Later School Start Times
Early school start times conflict with teens’ natural sleep cycles, leaving them groggy and underprepared for the day.
Research shows that even a 30-minute delay can significantly improve sleep duration and academic outcomes.
California’s mandate for high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. serves as a model.
“When schools start later, rates of depression and feelings of hopelessness drop significantly,” Turgeon notes.
2. Limit Technology
Screens are a major barrier to healthy sleep, not just because of blue light but because of their engaging nature.
Turgeon recommends establishing a “goodnight technology” routine at least an hour before bed. Family-wide habits, like parking devices outside bedrooms, help teens wind down and transition to sleep.
3. Model Healthy Sleep Habits
Parents who prioritize their own sleep set a powerful example. “When parents sleep better, they’re better equipped to help their kids,” Turgeon says. Demonstrating the importance of rest reinforces its value for the entire family.
4. Make Sleep a Priority
Help teens manage their schedules by avoiding overloading them with activities that encroach on rest. “Sleep needs to be treated as non-negotiable, just like nutrition or exercise,” Turgeon emphasizes.
5. Educate Teens About Sleep
Empower teens by explaining the science behind sleep. Tailor messages to their interests: for athletes, highlight how sleep aids peak performance; for academically driven teens, emphasize its role in focus and memory.
“Teens need to feel the importance of sleep for themselves,” Turgeon advises. “It’s important to know that even if you can’t just fix all of it, if you just support your teenager to sleep 30 minutes more every night, then by the end of the week, that’s two and a half hours of sleep that they’ve put back in their in their bank, and that is significant. Maybe you can’t get them to sleep nine to 10 hours a night. Most people can’t, but if they can add in 30 minutes, it is going to be it’s helpful. That is really something.”
When to Seek Help
If sleep challenges persist despite consistent efforts, Turgeon recommends consulting a doctor.
“Follow the five habits outlined in Generation Sleepless for two to three weeks. If there’s no improvement, it’s time to explore other underlying issues,” she advises.
“If you feel like your child’s anxiety is high and it feels out of proportion, it’s something to think about. Are they sleeping enough? Because we do need sleep to be able to regulate our feelings and keep our feelings in check and know when something is a big deal or when it’s not a big deal. Our barometer for what’s a big deal kind of goes out of whack when we’re not sleeping enough,” says the mother of a teenager.
For Turgeon, restoring sleep to its rightful place is essential for teens to thrive. “Sleep is foundational to everything—mental health, physical growth, and academic success. Without it, we’re asking our teens to operate at a disadvantage every single day.”
Related links:
Related articles:
The Impact of Early School Start Times on Teen Sleep
Teen Sleep and Healthy School Start Times
Why Teen Sleep Patterns are So Different and How Parents Can Help
