Losing Sleep

It happens every school day at 6:30 a.m. sharp. Lorenzo,* a seventh-grader from New Jersey, is startled awake by his alarm. He presses snooze once or twice and finally gets up when his mom comes into his room. He’s at school less than an hour later, wishing he were still in bed. 

“I wake up so early—it doesn’t feel like I get enough sleep,” Lorenzo explains. 

The 12-year-old goes to bed around 10:45 p.m., getting just shy of eight hours of sleep. That’s an hour less than the minimum amount that medical professionals recommend for his age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises that tweens get 9 to 12 hours of sleep a day and that teens get 8 to 10 hours.

Lorenzo is far from the only middle schooler feeling sluggish in the morning. A 2025 study found that nearly half of 11- and 12-year-olds and more than a third of 13- and 14-year-olds in the United States don’t get enough sleep. Missing out on sleep is a cause for concern, many doctors say. Getting too little rest has been linked to health problems and struggles in school. 

“When middle schoolers don’t get enough sleep, they may have a harder time concentrating, learning, remembering things, and managing their emotions,” explains Jason Nagata, who led the 2025 sleep study. He is a doctor and researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. 

The problem often gets worse in high school, experts say. U.S. health data shows that less than a quarter of high school students get the suggested minimum of eight hours of sleep a day.

So what’s keeping tweens and teens awake at night, and what can be done about it?

^{*Last name withheld for privacy}

It happens every school day at 6:30 a.m. sharp. Lorenzo* is startled awake by his alarm. He is a seventh-grader from New Jersey. He presses snooze once or twice. He finally gets up when his mom comes into his room. He is at school less than an hour later. But he wishes he were still in bed. 

“I wake up so early,” Lorenzo explains. “It doesn’t feel like I get enough sleep.”

The 12-year-old goes to bed around 10:45 p.m. He gets just shy of eight hours of sleep. That is an hour less than the minimum amount that medical professionals recommend for his age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises that tweens get 9 to 12 hours of sleep a day. And it recommends that teens get 8 to 10 hours.

Lorenzo is far from the only middle schooler feeling sluggish in the morning. A 2025 study found that nearly half of 11- and 12-year-olds in the United States do not get enough sleep. And more than a third of 13- and 14-year-olds don’t either. Missing out on sleep is a cause for concern, many doctors say. Getting too little rest has been linked to health problems and struggles in school. 

“When middle schoolers don’t get enough sleep, they may have a harder time concentrating, learning, remembering things, and managing their emotions,” explains Jason Nagata. He led the 2025 sleep study. He is a doctor and researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. 

The problem often gets worse in high school, experts say. U.S. health data shows that less than a quarter of high school students get the suggested minimum of eight hours of sleep a day.

So what is keeping tweens and teens awake at night? And what can be done about it?

^{*Last name withheld for privacy}

One reason tweens and teens end up short on sleep is that their bodies are changing. When kids hit puberty, their biological clocks shift forward. That makes their bodies want to stay up later and wake up later, says Anuja Bandyopadhyay (bahn-DOH-pa-thee-eye). She is a sleep medicine specialist at Indiana University School of Medicine. 

As a result, many tweens and teens have trouble dozing off before 10 or 11 p.m.—no matter how early their alarm is set to go off in the morning. And if they stay up later at night but continue to get up very early, doctors say they may wind up sleep-deprived. 

One reason tweens and teens end up short on sleep is that their bodies are changing. When kids hit puberty, their biological clocks shift forward. That makes their bodies want to stay up later and wake up later, says Anuja Bandyopadhyay (bahn-DOH-pa-thee-eye). She is a sleep medicine specialist at Indiana University School of Medicine. 

As a result, many tweens and teens have trouble dozing off before 10 or 11 p.m. That’s the case no matter how early their alarm is set to go off in the morning. And if they stay up later at night but continue to get up very early, doctors say they may wind up sleep-deprived.

Nagata and his colleagues found that tweens with phones and other screen-based devices in their bedrooms tend to get less sleep than tweens whose rooms are screen-free at night. And kids who turn off their phones before bed also get more sleep than those who leave them on—even if the active devices are put on vibrate or in silent mode. 

“Kids may be tempted to see whether they have received a message or notification,” Nagata explains. “Turning the phone off creates an extra barrier to checking it and prevents notifications from interrupting sleep.”

Still, medical experts say it can be hard for some teens to power down their devices, even if they know it will help them rest. They don’t want to miss out on what their friends are talking about, explains Paul Weigle, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. “Very often, I see kids who feel pressured to be online socially with other kids late at night,” he notes.

Nagata and his colleagues found that tweens with phones and other screen-based devices in their bedrooms tend to get less sleep than tweens whose rooms are screen-free at night. And kids who turn off their phones before bed also get more sleep than those who leave them on. That’s true even if the active devices are on vibrate or in silent mode. 

“Kids may be tempted to see whether they have received a message or notification,” Nagata explains. “Turning the phone off creates an extra barrier to checking it and prevents notifications from interrupting sleep.”

Still, medical experts say it can be hard for some teens to power down their devices. It is hard even if they know it will help them rest. They don’t want to miss out on what their friends are talking about, explains Paul Weigle. He is an associate professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. “Very often, I see kids who feel pressured to be online socially with other kids late at night,” he notes.

^{SOURCE: Journal of Adolescent Health}

^{SOURCE: Journal of Adolescent Health}

Gabby Giobergia, an eighth-grader from Florida, knows that feeling. She shuts down her phone before bed. When she turns it back on in the morning, she usually has notifications waiting for her.

“I’ll look and I’ll have text messages from friends texting me at 3 a.m. or sending me videos and stuff,” Gabby explains. The teen says it’s almost certain that there will be things she missed, including conversations she wasn’t a part of.

Gabby Giobergia is an eighth-grader from Florida. She knows that feeling. She shuts down her phone before bed. When she turns it back on in the morning, she usually has notifications waiting for her.

“I’ll look and I’ll have text messages from friends texting me at 3 a.m. or sending me videos and stuff,” Gabby explains. The teen says it’s almost certain that there will be things she missed. That includes conversations she wasn’t a part of.

Experts say the disappointment of missing out on late-night texts is small compared with the risks of sleep deprivation. Not getting enough rest when you’re young is associated with health issues, including a higher risk of heart problems, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). It’s also linked to depression and anxiety.

“I see kids who have depression and anxiety every day, and a lot of times one of the best things I can do to help them . . . is to ensure that they get a good night’s sleep,” Weigle says. 

Scoring the right amount of sleep helps you manage your emotions in a healthy way. If you are well rested, it’s easier not to overreact when something goes wrong, medical experts say. And it’s less difficult to make—and keep—friends if you aren’t cranky from being overtired. 

Experts say the disappointment of missing out on late-night texts is small compared with the risks of sleep deprivation. Not getting enough rest when you’re young is associated with health issues. These can include higher risks of heart problems, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. That is according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Lack of sleep is also linked to depression and anxiety.

“I see kids who have depression and anxiety every day, and a lot of times one of the best things I can do to help them . . . is to ensure that they get a good night’s sleep,” Weigle says. 

Scoring the right amount of sleep helps you manage your emotions in a healthy way. If you are well rested, it’s easier not to overreact when something goes wrong, medical experts say. And if you aren’t cranky from being overtired, it’s easier to make—and keep—friends.

Zzz’s are also key to getting A’s. Research shows that kids who get more sleep tend to get better grades. Bandyopadhyay says that may be partly because during sleep, the brain processes and saves the information learned during the day. 

Getting enough rest also helps with focus. Lorenzo, the seventh-grader from New Jersey, starts school at 7:35 a.m. and has math second period. He says he often still feels groggy in that class, which can make it hard to pay attention. “It’s not amazing,” he points out. “I would like math more if I didn’t have it so early in the morning.” 

Zzz’s are also key to getting A’s. Research shows that kids who get more sleep tend to get better grades. Experts say that may be partly because during sleep, the brain processes and saves the information learned during the day. 

Getting enough rest also helps with focus. Lorenzo is the seventh-grader from New Jersey. He starts school at 7:35 a.m. He has math second period. He says he often still feels groggy in that class. That can make it hard to pay attention. “It’s not amazing,” he points out. “I would like math more if I didn’t have it so early in the morning.”

Keeping sleep schedules in mind, the AAP and other groups recommend that middle schools and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. 

Later school start times have been associated with more sleep, less daytime sleepiness, and better attendance, the AAP notes. Yet 70 percent of U.S. middle schools start earlier than that, according to a 2020-2021 report, the most recent data available.

“We can teach kids all the good sleep habits that we want, but we have to also give them a schedule that makes it possible,” Bandyopadhyay says. 

Pushing back the first bell can be complicated. The change often affects bus schedules for other grade levels and schools. It can also take time away from after-school activities. 

Plus, later start times can create conflicts with families’ schedules. For example, Gabby’s school doesn’t start until 9:20 a.m., but her mother has to be at work by 7:15 a.m. So the teen still gets up at 6 a.m. every day to be ready to catch a ride with her mother. 

Keeping sleep schedules in mind, the AAP and other groups recommend that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. 

Later school start times have been associated with more sleep, less daytime sleepiness, and better attendance, the AAP notes. Yet 70 percent of U.S. middle schools start earlier. That is according to a 2020-2021 report, the most recent data available.  

“We can teach kids all the good sleep habits that we want, but we have to also give them a schedule that makes it possible,” Bandyopadhyay says. 

Pushing back the first bell can be complicated. The change often affects bus schedules for other grade levels and schools. It can also take time away from after-school activities. 

Plus, later start times can create conflicts with families’ schedules. For example, Gabby’s school doesn’t start until 9:20 a.m. But her mother has to be at work by 7:15 a.m. So the teen still gets up at 6 a.m. every day to be ready to catch a ride with her mother.

You can’t always choose what time you wake up, but doctors say you can train your brain to improve your sleep. First, go to bed and wake up at around the same times every day. You can also shift your bedtime 10 minutes earlier every night until you start getting the recommended amount of sleep for your age.

Next, follow a consistent bedtime routine for the 30 to 60 minutes before you conk out at night. Move your devices out of your room and do something relaxing, like taking a warm shower or bath, writing in a journal, or listening to music. Your brain will learn that the routine means it’s time to unwind.

Experts also advise using your bed only for sleeping—not for activities like scrolling through social media or playing video games. That way your brain will associate your bed with sleep.

Creating these habits now will help as you get older. “Middle school is an important time for students to establish healthy sleep habits,” Bandyopadhyay says. “[You] can carry them into high school and beyond.”

You can’t always choose what time you wake up. But doctors say you can train your brain to improve your sleep. First, go to bed and wake up at around the same times every day. You can also shift your bedtime 10 minutes earlier every night. You can do that until you start getting the recommended amount of sleep for your age.

Next, follow a consistent bedtime routine. Do that for the 30 to 60 minutes before you conk out at night. Move your devices out of your room. And do something relaxing. Take a warm shower or bath or write in a journal. Or listen to music. Your brain will learn that the routine means it’s time to unwind. 

Experts also advise using your bed only for sleeping. That way your brain will associate your bed with sleep. Don’t use it for activities like scrolling through social media or playing video games.

Creating these habits now will help as you get older. “Middle school is an important time for students to establish healthy sleep habits,” Bandyopadhyay says. “[You] can carry them into high school and beyond.”