How Much Sleep Teenagers Need?

Here's a question from a viewer who writes, "My 13-year-old son seems tired all the time. How much sleep does a 13-year-old really need?" Well, one of the big changes in puberty besides the obvious physical changes are the need for more sleep. And today's teenagers are the most sleep deprived they've ever been. So, believe it or not a teenager needs about 10 hours or more sleep a night. And, that's considering the fact that they don't think they need that much sleep but actually their bodies do. That's actually why you see a lot of middle schools actually open later than high schools in a lot of districts, because middle schoolers and the youngest teenagers need the most sleep. Their bodies are changing hormonally and physically and often they're playing sports or doing other things. So, their sleep needs are pretty high. And just in case you were wondering, you really can't catch up on needed sleep as a teenager during the weekend to make up for what you didn't have on the weekday. So, I would encourage good sleeping habits. No TVs in the rooms. No computers in bedrooms, 'cause those just discourage a child from getting enough sleep. But good luck on that. The teenage years are an adventure. So, best of luck to you and your son. Thank you.