Adolescent sleep duration has been eroding for decades in the United States, with the period 2021-2023 showing the lowest prevalences of adequate sleep at every age, and disparities between racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups emerging and growing steadily over time.
Adolescent sleep duration declined with increasing age during every period studied.
The period 2021-2023 had the lowest prevalences of getting 7 or more hours of sleep at every age examined.
Racial/ethnic disparities in sleep duration between non-Hispanic Black and white adolescents emerged and grew over time.
Disparities in sleep duration between adolescents whose parents had more versus less education emerged and/or grew steadily over time.
Adolescent sleep in the United States had been eroding for decades prior to the most recent data collection period.
This research suggests that American teenagers have been getting less and less sleep over the past three decades, with the situation reaching its worst point between 2021 and 2023. Using data from more than 400,000 adolescents surveyed between 1991 and 2023, the researchers found that in the most recent period, fewer than 4 in 10 young teens (ages 12-13) and fewer than 1 in 4 older teens (ages 18-19) were getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Sleep also declined as teens got older, a pattern that held true in every era studied. The research also found that the sleep gap between different groups of teenagers has been widening. In the early 1990s, Black and white adolescents were equally likely to get enough sleep, but by 2023, Black teenagers were significantly less likely to report adequate sleep. Similar gaps grew between Hispanic/Latino teens and white teens, and between teens from families with less-educated parents versus more-educated parents. These inequalities in sleep mirror other health disparities and suggest that the benefits of good sleep are not equally accessible to all young people. This research matters because sleep is essential for teenagers' physical health, mental health, academic performance, and overall development. The findings suggest that inadequate sleep is not just an individual problem but a widespread public health concern that has been worsening over time, and that the burden falls disproportionately on youth from already-disadvantaged groups. Understanding these long-term trends and who is most affected could help inform school policies, public health interventions, and family-level conversations about the importance of sleep for young people.
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Upload Your LabsWidome R, Kreski N, Maslowsky J, Patrick M, Keyes K. (2026). Sleep Duration Among US Adolescents, 1991-2023.. Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2025-074933