5 Ways To Ensure Your Teen Gets Enough Sleep

Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep, according to the CDC, and the average American teen gets about 7. Five habits can help close that gap: devices put away at night, a fixed wake time, short naps, less late caffeine and a lighter schedule.

Updated October 28, 2026.

Teen sleep has no single thief. A phone in bed, an early alarm and a full calendar each take a bite, and together they leave a teenager short. Most parents have called a teen’s name three times on a school morning and gotten a grunt back. So these five habits work best together, not one at a time.

How Much Sleep Does a Teen Need?

The CDC lists 8 to 10 hours per day for ages 13 to 17. NPR’s 2018 story on teen sleep put the research figure at about nine hours and the average American teen at about seven. In the CDC’s 2015 national survey, 72.7 percent of high school students did not get enough sleep on school nights.

In the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, a survey of 2,000 parents that NPR covered, one in six parents said their teen had trouble falling or staying asleep three or more nights a week. More than half of parents blamed electronic devices. Another 43 percent cited irregular schedules full of homework and activities, 31 percent said their teen worried about school, and 23 percent said social worries kept them up.

Sarah Clark of the poll told NPR the true share is probably higher, because teens can hide late-night device use from parents, and many parents don’t know how much time their kids spend on screens. Teens tend to hole up in their bedrooms, where they can text, scroll social media or surf the web late into the night.

Why Teens Fall Short on Sleep

Sleep researcher Mary Carskadon, who teaches psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, explained it this way: “If kids’ body clocks are shifting later and the school is starting earlier, there’s no time left to recover.” A 2018 CDC report notes that the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine all recommend later school start times.

The stakes are real. The CDC says kids and teens who miss sleep face a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, injuries and poor mental health. Short sleep is also tied to attention and behavior problems and poor academic performance.

1. Put Away Devices at Bedtime

The CDC advises turning off electronic devices at least half an hour before bed. Most of us have had a night where we meant to go to bed early and one more video turned into midnight. NPR’s story goes further: put electronics away and out of reach, and keep sleep hours electronics-free. Carskadon joked that a family tech lockbox would be her get-rich-quick scheme. The idea works without the box, too: one spot where every phone and tablet goes at an agreed hour.

It helps when the rule covers the whole house, parents’ phones included. Then it stops feeling like a punishment.

2. Keep the Same Bedtime and Wake Time

The CDC lists a steady schedule first among its sleep habits: the same bedtime and the same wake time every day. NPR’s tips say the same, weekends included. A quiet, relaxing bedroom kept at a cool temperature helps too, per the CDC.

3. Use a Sleep Mask and Keep Naps Short

NPR’s tips note that a sleep mask can help create a room that is easier to sleep in. They also warn against long daytime naps. A 20-minute nap might be refreshing, the story says, but longer daytime sleep can make it harder to rest well that night.

4. Cut Caffeine Late in the Day

The CDC says to skip caffeine in the afternoon and evening. The Mott poll found that 54 percent of parents already had their teens limit evening caffeine. Soda, energy drinks and coffee drinks all count, so check the label before an evening snack run.

5. Cut Back on Activities

Clark, a co-director of the poll, told NPR: “What parents are sharing with us is that the ‘normal life’ of a typical American high schooler is interfering with sleep.” Her practical fix was to break homework into short chunks, for example finishing one or two subjects in 45 spare minutes. Teaching time management helps for the same reason: work that gets done earlier does not push bedtime later. Teens can get overloaded with responsibilities, and anyone who has juggled homework, practice and a job knows how fast the evening disappears. School work may not be up for negotiation, but other activities often are.

When to Talk to a Doctor About Teen Sleep

NPR’s story advises consulting a doctor before giving a teen melatonin or over-the-counter sleep aids such as Tylenol PM or NyQuil. If the habits above do not help, a pediatrician can look for a cause.

Frequently Asked Questions About Teen Sleep

How many hours of sleep does a teenager need?

The CDC lists 8 to 10 hours a day for ages 13 to 17. The NPR coverage of the Mott poll put the research figure closer to nine hours and found the average American teen sleeps about seven. A teen who sleeps seven hours on school nights is below the CDC range, even if that feels normal at home.

Why does my teenager stay up so late?

Carskadon told NPR that teen body clocks shift later during the teen years. A later body clock plus an early school alarm leaves no time to catch up. Parents in the Mott poll also pointed to devices, which more than half blamed, and to busy schedules, which 43 percent cited.

Should a teen keep the same wake time on weekends?

NPR’s coverage advises the same bedtime and wake time every day, weekends included, and the CDC lists a steady schedule among its sleep habits for teens. Both sources point the same way. NPR also notes that sleeping in on weekends does not fully make up for sleep lost on school nights.

Is it safe to give a teen melatonin?

The NPR article advises talking with a doctor before giving a teen melatonin or over-the-counter sleep aids such as Tylenol PM or NyQuil. That is the safest default. A pediatrician can check for causes behind the sleeplessness and say whether any product is right for your teen’s situation.

What time should high school start for teens?

A 2018 CDC report says the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine all recommend later start times for middle and high schools, so students have time to sleep. School start times are set locally, so this is a question for your district.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician about your own situation.