Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep nightly, as recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, yet 69% of young Americans get less than 8 hours. Late-night streaming, socializing, or reading often wins out over early bedtimes. A collaborative study from leading U.S. medical institutions suggests starting school later could be the ideal solution.
By reviewing 18 prior studies, researchers found that delaying high school start times by one hour adds an average of 19 minutes of sleep per night. Shifts beyond an hour yield about 53 extra minutes. These gains meaningfully reduce daytime sleepiness, tardiness, absenteeism, and teen traffic accidents. Academic results were mixed, showing no significant improvements but also no declines.
