Today’s Teens Getting Less Sleep: Study
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monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A new study which spanned 20 years shows that U.S. teens are getting sleepier.
Researchers surveyed 8th to 12th graders in 130 schools across the country from 1991-2012 in a study released Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
Students were asked if they got at least seven hours of sleep per night and if they thought their sleep was adequate.
Fewer teens reported getting seven hours as they aged, and teens in the 2000s reported getting less sleep than those in the 1990s.
Girls, minorities, and lower socioeconomic teens reported less sleep than their counterparts, but were more likely to report getting adequate sleep.
Misperception of adequate sleep among these groups identifies the importance of reinforcing good sleep quality and duration with teens and parents, according to researchers.
The National Institute of Health recommends nine to 10 hours of sleep for teens.
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