Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Sep;134(3):e921-32.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-1696.

Insufficient sleep in adolescents and young adults: an update on causes and consequences

Judith Owens; Adolescent Sleep Working Group; Committee on Adolescence
Collaborators
Review

Insufficient sleep in adolescents and young adults: an update on causes and consequences

Judith Owens et al. Pediatrics. 2014 Sep.

Abstract

Chronic sleep loss and associated sleepiness and daytime impairments in adolescence are a serious threat to the academic success, health, and safety of our nation's youth and an important public health issue. Understanding the extent and potential short- and long-term repercussions of sleep restriction, as well as the unhealthy sleep practices and environmental factors that contribute to sleep loss in adolescents, is key in setting public policies to mitigate these effects and in counseling patients and families in the clinical setting. This report reviews the current literature on sleep patterns in adolescents, factors contributing to chronic sleep loss (ie, electronic media use, caffeine consumption), and health-related consequences, such as depression, increased obesity risk, and higher rates of drowsy driving accidents. The report also discusses the potential role of later school start times as a means of reducing adolescent sleepiness.

Keywords: adolescents; caffeine; car crashes; media use; obesity; sleep loss; sleepiness.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Millman RP, Working Group on Sleepiness in Adolescents/Young Adults. AAP Committee on Adolescence . Excessive sleepiness in adolescents and young adults: causes, consequences, and treatment strategies. Pediatrics. 2005;115(6):1774–1786 - PubMed
    1. American Medical Association, American Academy of Sleep Medicine . Resolution 503: Insufficient Sleep in Adolescents. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, American Academy of Sleep Medicine; 2010
    1. Sleep Health. Healthy People 2020 topics and objectives. Available at: www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=38. Accessed November 14, 2013
    1. National Sleep Foundation. 2006 Teens and sleep. Sleep in America Polls. Washington, DC: National Sleep Foundation; 2006. Available at: www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-america-polls/2006-teens-and-sleep. Accessed November 14, 2013
    1. Huang YS, Wang CH, Guilleminault C. An epidemiologic study of sleep problems among adolescents in North Taiwan. Sleep Med. 2010;11(10):1035–1042 - PubMed

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources