The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommend that teenagers obtain 8-10 hours of sleep a night. However, teens are notorious for not getting enough sleep and the average number is closer to 6-7 hours. There are many factors that contribute to sleep loss in tired teens including: overscheduled activities, academic demands, hormonal changes, and technology overuse.
As a result, most adolescents are sleep deprived. This can cause a myriad of problems including irritable mood, increase in high risk behaviors, problems with attention and memory, and impaired academic performance. Teenagers are also in the highest risk category for falling asleep at the wheel, making new drivers who are sleep deficient at particular risk of automobile accidents.