How Much Sleep Does a Teenager Need? Guidelines and Practical Tips
Teenagers are often told they sleep too much, yet many get far less sleep than they need on school nights. Homework, sport, part-time jobs, phones and early school starts all compete with bedtime, and the body clock shifts later during adolescence, which makes early nights genuinely harder.
This guide summarises the published sleep recommendations for teenagers and school-age children, explains why sleep timing changes in the teenage years, offers practical habits that families commonly find helpful, compares ways to keep track of sleep, and shows how to log sleep in GROW.
Before you start
This article gives general information, not medical advice. Every young person is different. If a teenager has ongoing trouble falling or staying asleep, snores loudly, seems to stop breathing during sleep, or is very sleepy during the day despite enough time in bed, talk to a doctor.
How much sleep is recommended
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has published age-based recommendations, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and public health agencies such as the US CDC use the same ranges:
- Teenagers aged 13 to 18: 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours.
- Children aged 6 to 12: 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours.
These are ranges, not targets to hit exactly. Some young people feel rested near the bottom of the range and some need the top. A practical sign of enough sleep is waking without great difficulty and staying alert through the school day.
Why teenagers find early nights hard
During puberty, the body clock tends to shift later, so many teenagers do not feel sleepy until later in the evening. When school still starts early, the result is a squeeze: late sleepiness at night and an early alarm in the morning. Evening light from screens, late homework, sport and social plans can push bedtime later still.
Sleeping in at weekends can feel like catching up, but very different weekday and weekend schedules can make Monday mornings harder. This is not laziness; it is a common pattern that a few habits can ease.
Practical habits that help
These are general sleep-hygiene suggestions widely given by health organisations. Pick one or two to try rather than changing everything at once:
- Keep wake-up time fairly consistent, including weekends, and let bedtime follow.
- Get daylight soon after waking, for example by walking to school or opening the curtains.
- Set a wind-down routine for the last 30 to 60 minutes before bed: reading, a shower, quiet music.
- Charge phones and tablets outside the bedroom, or at least turn off notifications at night.
- Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening, including energy drinks, cola and strong tea.
- Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and comfortably cool.
- Plan homework and activities with bedtime in mind, using a weekly calendar if that helps.
What about sleep and growth?
People often search for how much sleep a teenager needs to grow. Sleep is one part of healthy development, along with food, activity and overall health, and growth hormone is released mainly during sleep. But adult height is largely set by genetics, and no amount of sleep or any other habit can guarantee extra height. Aim for enough regular sleep because it helps with mood, concentration and wellbeing, and ask a doctor about any concerns about growth.
Ways to keep track of sleep
Paper sleep diary
Write down bedtime, wake time and a word about how rested you felt. It is simple, private and exactly what a doctor may ask for. It relies on remembering to fill it in every morning.
Wearables and sleep-tracking apps
Watches and phone apps can estimate sleep automatically. They are convenient, but their estimates of sleep stages and exact times can be off, and checking scores can make some people anxious about sleep.
A simple log app
Typing bedtime and wake time into an app takes seconds and gives a chart without wearing anything. Like a paper diary, it is only as accurate as the times you enter.
Logging sleep in GROW
GROW is a habit tracker and growth diary for kids and teens that includes a sleep log.
- Open the record tab and switch to sleep.
- Enter bedtime and wake time and save. GROW calculates the total and marks whether it falls within an 8 to 10 hour range, the teenage guideline. Younger children often need more, so treat this as a general marker.
- On the home screen, tick the daily habits, including going to bed early, as you complete them.
- Open the graph tab to see a weekly sleep chart, and check the weekly average on the home screen.
The iPhone and Android apps can send a bedtime reminder; the web version has no notifications. If you also track growth, see how to measure height at home.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7 hours enough for a teenager?
Published guidelines recommend 8 to 10 hours for 13 to 18 year olds, so 7 hours is below the range. Occasional short nights happen; if it is the usual pattern and the teenager feels tired, look at what is pushing bedtime later.
Can teenagers catch up on sleep at the weekend?
A longer sleep can help after a short week, but large differences between weekday and weekend schedules can make waking up on Monday harder. A steadier routine usually works better.
Do naps count?
The guidelines are per 24 hours, so naps count towards the total. Long or late naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night.
Does sleeping more make you taller?
No habit can guarantee extra height. Enough sleep supports overall health and development, but height is largely determined by genetics. Ask a doctor about growth concerns.
Where does GROW store sleep records?
In the web version, only in your browser on that device, with no account. Clearing browser data removes them.