A growing number of teenagers are struggling with chronic sleep loss and new research shows the issue has intensified significantly over the past 16 years. A study published in JAMA on March 2 2026 analysed long term data and found that sleep deprivation among adolescents has steadily worsened since 2007 raising serious concerns about mental and physical health outcomes.
According to the findings nearly 77 percent of teenagers were not getting adequate sleep by 2023 compared to around 69 percent in 2007. Even more alarming is the increase in adolescents sleeping fewer than five hours per night a level considered severely insufficient for healthy development. Researchers emphasised that the trend has developed gradually over time rather than appearing suddenly.
While smartphones and late night screen use are frequently blamed for keeping teens awake the study indicates that digital devices are only one part of a broader problem. Many teenagers with limited screen exposure also reported poor sleep suggesting that other structural and biological factors are at play.
One of the key contributors is early school start times which conflict with natural adolescent sleep cycles. During puberty teenagers experience a shift in their internal body clock. Melatonin the hormone responsible for signalling sleep is released later at night often around 11pm meaning teens naturally feel alert later in the evening. However early morning school schedules force them to wake before their bodies are fully rested creating a cycle of ongoing sleep deficit.
Additional pressures such as heavy homework loads extracurricular commitments social expectations and academic competition further reduce available rest time. Over time inadequate sleep has been strongly associated with higher risks of anxiety depression mood instability reduced concentration and long term health complications.
Experts suggest that solutions must go beyond limiting phone use before bedtime. The research recommends that middle and high schools begin no earlier than 8.30am to better align with adolescent biological rhythms. Addressing the teen sleep crisis may ultimately require systemic changes to educational structures daily routines and societal expectations to support healthier sleep habits for young people.