Teens schoolwork suffers from poor sleep

Monday 23rd July 2012

Teenagers are becoming concerned about the health and productivity impacts of not getting enough sleep, according to the results of a new survey by the Schools Health Education Unit.

The study assessed responses from thousands of children aged between 10 and 15 years old. It found that younger children in that age range were less likely to complain about lack of sleep compared to older respondents. Of the 12 and 13 year old children, some 80% said that they were regularly getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep, compared to just 65% of 14 and 15 year olds.

The respondents made a clear link between lack of sleep and performance in the classroom, with more than a quarter of girls (28%) and just over a fifth of boys (22%) aged 14 and 15 saying that they don’t sleep long enough to concentrate on their schoolwork.

While the need for good quality sleep is of course imperative at every stage of our lives, rapid physical changes combined with the mental energy required at school that makes it particularly important during teenage years. 

Tags: sleep school teen teenagers sleeping productivity

Category: Sleep Research

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