To better understand
Sleep is important to maintaining good physical and mental health. But a lot of teens don’t get enough sleep. Here are some reasons why:
- During puberty, they naturally feel the need to go to bed and get up later. However, school schedules aren’t flexible.
- Between school, extracurricular activities, homework, time spent with friends and sometimes even a part-time job, teens lead very busy lives. It can seem unrealistic for a teen to go to bed early enough to get enough sleep.
Recommendations for time spent sleeping
9 to 11 hours
Age 6 to 13
8 to 10 hours
Age 14 to 17
7 to 9 hours
Age 18 to 25
Sleep and teens
49% of teenagers sleep enough during the week.
18% of teenagers have a bedtime that differs by more than 2.5 hours between weekdays and weekends. However, maintaining a regular sleep routine during both the week and the weekend is essential. Day-to-day shifts should not exceed 2 hours.
Watch our video on this subject
Does your teen sometimes seem to sleep too much and sometimes not enough? Dr. Sébastien Bergeron, pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine, explains what you need to know about sleep in adolescence and, above all, what you can do to help your child!
Be there for your teen
Tips and tricks
During sleep hours, you can make the bedrooms screen-free.
Also, all members of the family can adopt a healthy sleep routine. Why not try it? These recommendations are good for everyone!
Practical resources and tools
1. For support :
Are you dealing with a situation that worries you? Ask for help:
2. For more information :
- Information leaflet from CHU-Ste-Justine for teens and parents about sleep hygiene for youth aged 12 to 17
- Sleep on it!: Canadian public health campaign on sleep
- Information bulletin for teens from the Canadian Paediatric Society
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