A new study reveals that more American high school students are struggling with severe sleep loss. The research was published March 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). It analyzed data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Study.
Medical societies recommend that teenagers sleep eight to 10 hours each night. The data shows 77 percent of high school students failed to meet this goal in 2023. This is a significant increase from 69 percent in 2007.
The rise is mostly due to a jump in “very short sleep.” This category describes students who sleep five hours or less. The percentage of very short sleepers rose from 16 percent to 23 percent over the last 16 years.
Black students saw larger increases in sleep loss compared to white students. However, researchers noted that all demographic groups showed rising percentages of inadequate sleep.
The trend affected students regardless of their mental health or substance use history. Researchers believe the widespread decline suggests structural problems rather than individual issues. They specifically pointed to early high school start times as a major factor.
Puberty shifts the natural sleep-wake cycle for most teenagers. Changes in melatonin release make it hard for teens to fall asleep before 11 PM. Most struggle to wake up before 8 AM.
Lack of sleep harms a teenager’s ability to think clearly. It also increases the risk of physical and mental health issues.
The study highlights that later start times benefit students. Research in Minnesota showed that delaying the first bell by one hour helped students sleep more. Those students also reported fewer symptoms of depression.