The Huffington Post – Cari Nierenberg
“The amount of time that teens spend sleeping has substantially declined over the last 20 years, a new study suggests. The results from a large national survey show that the percentage of U.S. teenagers who regularly get seven or more hours of shut-eye is consistently decreasing…To function at their best, teens should hit the sack for eight to 10 hours a night, the National Sleep Foundation recommends. Getting enough sleep is important for teens’ bodies and minds during this critical stage in their growth and development. Those who skimp on shut-eye during their teen years could also set the stage for a lifelong pattern of getting too little sleep as adults…A lack of Zzzs could also affect adolescent health in a variety of other ways. Previous research has suggested that the average American teen is chronically sleep deprived, and this may increase teenagers’ risk for experiencing problems in school performance, mental health issues, automobile accidents, substance use and even weight gain…”(more)