Health
8 in 10 teens aren’t getting enough sleep, says National Sleep Foundation: ‘Deeply concerning’
Teens should be getting between eight and 10 hours of sleep every night, experts say — yet a vast majority of them are falling short.
The 2024 Sleep in America Poll from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., found that 80% of teens don’t get enough sleep — and the typical teen scored a failing grade of “F” in terms of practicing healthy sleep behaviors.
Teens also reported that when they get insufficient sleep, their mental and emotional health suffers.
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The poll compiled sleep data from a variety of indexes and questionnaires conducted by NSF, as well as the PHQ-9 (patient health questionnaire) to gauge teens’ depressive symptoms.
Here’s a deeper dive into the issue.
Teens should get between eight and 10 hours of sleep each night, experts say — yet a vast majority of them are falling short. (iStock)
Why are teens so sleep-deprived?
Teens face many challenges in getting a healthy amount of sleep, according to Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski, PhD, vice president of research and scientific affairs at NSF, who was one of the researchers working on the study.
“Those [challenges] include school schedules and demands, extracurricular activities, social commitments, employment responsibilities and the constant lure of electronic content, to name a few,” he told Fox News Digital.
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School demands and activities are one of the biggest sleep blockers, the poll found.
Teens are nearly half as likely to get the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep on school nights compared to weekends, and they are more than three times as likely to be dissatisfied with the amount of sleep they get on school nights compared to weekends.
Link between sleep and mental health
There is a two-way connection between sleep health and mental health, Dzierzewski noted.
“Poor sleep health can lead to depressive symptoms, and depressive symptoms can lead to poor sleep health,” he said.
Teens are nearly half as likely to get the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep on school nights compared to weekends, a new study found. (iStock)
Teens who don’t get the recommended amount of sleep on school nights, who have difficulty falling or staying asleep, or who are dissatisfied with their sleep have higher levels of depressive symptoms, the poll found.
Dr. Zaid Fadul, the Arizona-based medical director at Better U, an online mental health provider, said he’s struck by the “clear connection” between sleep health and mental well-being in teenagers, which he said he’s observed in his own practice.
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“It’s deeply concerning that such a significant portion of teens are not getting the sleep they need, which undoubtedly impacts their academic performance, emotional health and overall quality of life,” Fadul, who was not involved in the NSF findings, told Fox News Digital.
Lack of sleep can contribute to feelings of sadness, hopelessness and disinterest in activities once enjoyed, the doctor noted.
It can also affect concentration, decision-making, and memory, leading to decreased academic performance and increased stress.
Teens should prioritize slumber with a consistent, relaxing wind-down routine while keeping a regular sleep schedule, an expert said. (iStock)
Mood swings often come with poor sleep, Fadul said, as teens may experience more irritability, short temper and emotional volatility.
“Studies have also shown a link between sleep problems and suicidal ideation among adolescents,” Fadul warned.
Tips for teens to improve sleep
The NSF recommends six small steps that can have a big impact on nighttime sleep.
During the day, teens should get some bright light, especially in the morning.
They should also exercise regularly and eat meals at consistent times daily, Dzierzewski said.
During the evening, teens should avoid caffeine and heavy meals before bedtime.
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They should also prioritize sleep with a consistent, relaxing wind-down routine while keeping a regular sleep schedule, Dzierzewski said.
In addition, teenagers should put devices away before bed and sleep in dark, quiet and cool spaces, according to the NSF’s guidance.
Families, schools and entire communities all play a part in supporting the sleep health of young people, Fadul noted.
Teens who don’t get the recommended amount of sleep on school nights, who have difficulty falling or staying asleep, or who are dissatisfied with their sleep have higher levels of depressive symptoms, new research found. (iStock)
“In my view, parents must be proactive in creating environments conducive to good sleep and in establishing routines that encourage healthier sleep habits, such as reducing screen time before bed,” he said.
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“Moreover, I firmly believe that schools and community programs must align to promote better sleep practices among teenagers, potentially revisiting policies like school start times to better accommodate teens’ biological clocks.”
If sleep problems persist, an expert recommends speaking with a health care provider to explore possible underlying causes and treatment options. (iStock)
Sleep should be prioritized in the public health agenda, Fadul said.
“Health care professionals, educators and policymakers must unite to elevate sleep’s priority,” he said.
“As both a clinician and a parent, I see the urgent need to rethink our approach to teen sleep health, ensuring that it’s treated as the foundational aspect of mental well-being that it truly is.”
If sleep problems persist, Fadul recommends speaking with a health care provider to explore possible underlying causes and treatment options.
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Living near heavy traffic could negatively impact your heart health.
A European study, published in the journal Environmental Research, found that exposure to nighttime road traffic noise is linked to changes in the blood, leading to worsened cholesterol and cardiovascular risks.
The researchers considered data from the U.K. Biobank, Rotterdam Study, and Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, including more than 272,000 adults over the age of 30, according to a press release.
Nighttime road noise exposure was estimated at all participants’ homes based on national noise maps. Researchers also took blood samples to measure the participants’ metabolic biomarkers for disease, then mapped the link between nightly noise levels and existence of biomarkers.
Exposure to loud noise was associated with increased concentrations of cholesterol-related biomarkers. (iStock)
The study found that people exposed to louder noise at night — especially sounds above 55 decibels — showed changes in 48 different substances in their blood. Twenty of these associations “remained robust” throughout all cohorts.
Exposure to loud noise was associated with increased concentrations of cholesterol-related biomarkers, especially LDL “bad” cholesterol, IDL (intermediate-density lipoprotein) and unsaturated fatty acids.
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As noise levels increased, starting at around 50 decibels, cholesterol markers rose steadily, the release stated.
The authors concluded that this study “provides evidence that nighttime road traffic noise exposure from 50 dB upward is associated with alterations in blood cholesterol and lipid profiles in adults.”
Researchers noted a link between traffic noise and cardiometabolic disease. (iStock)
Study co-author Yiyan He, doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu in Finland, noted that in this type of research, small effect sizes are expected, and environmental exposures such as traffic noise are “typically modest.”
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“Despite this, we observed statistically robust and consistent associations across many biomarkers, especially those related to LDL and IDL lipoproteins,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“We also identified a clear exposure-response pattern starting at around 50 dB, suggesting that metabolic changes become more evident as noise levels increase.”
This aligns with public health guidance, as the World Health Organization recommends lower nighttime noise limits at around 40 to 45 dB, Yiyan He added.
“This finding may clarify the association between traffic noise and cardiometabolic diseases,” the researchers wrote. (iStock)
“The 55 dB level is often used as an interim benchmark associated with substantial noise annoyance and sleep disturbance,” she said. “In our study, we observed associations not only at 55 dB, but also indications of effects emerging at around 50 dB.”
The strength and consistency of the cholesterol-related associations were surprising, as these changes are usually “subtle.”
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“Instead, we found consistent associations across multiple large European cohorts, which strengthens confidence that the findings may reflect real biological patterns,” Yiyan He went on. “We were also interested to see that effects were minimal below ~50 dB, suggesting a possible threshold-like pattern.”
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The researcher noted that these findings were consistent across genders, education levels and obesity status.
The study was restricted to White Europeans, which posed a limitation. There was also a lack of information on the fasting status in the UK Biobank.
Changes in cholesterol levels were more severe than researchers expected. (iStock)
“Fasting can influence levels of certain metabolites, particularly fatty acids,” Yiyan He said. “However, based on UK Biobank documentation, fewer than 10% of participants were fasting for at least eight hours, and our main findings focused on cholesterol-related biomarkers, which are generally less sensitive to short-term fasting.”
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The researchers also lacked information on bedroom location, indoor noise exposure and time spent at home.
“These factors may introduce non-differential exposure misclassification,” Yiyan He said. “Additionally, noise exposure estimates were based on participants’ temporary residential addresses at the time of blood sampling, without considering the duration of residence.”
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“Many of these limitations would tend to bias results toward the null, so the consistent associations we observed remain noteworthy.”
Experts recommend taking measures to limit traffic noise at night. (iStock)
Based on this latest research, Yiyan He noted that nighttime noise is a “health-relevant exposure,” not just “an annoyance.”
“Our findings suggest that nighttime traffic noise may subtly but consistently affect metabolic health,” she said. “While the changes in cholesterol and lipid levels for any one individual are small, traffic noise affects a very large number of people, which means the potential public health impact could be substantial.”
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The researcher recommends taking measures like improving sound insulation, using noise-reducing strategies and placing bedrooms on the quieter side of the home when possible.
“Because sleep is a key pathway linking noise to health, protecting the nighttime sleep environment is especially important,” she added.
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