{"id":2523,"date":"2018-12-12T16:32:40","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T16:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bettersleep.org\/?p=2523"},"modified":"2024-02-21T12:56:50","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T12:56:50","slug":"teens-sleep-and-homework-survey-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bettersleep.org\/press-releases\/teens-sleep-and-homework-survey-results\/","title":{"rendered":"Teens, Sleep and Homework Survey Results"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALEXANDRIA, Va.<\/span>, Dec. 11, 2018<\/span> \u2013 According to new research from the Better Sleep Council (BSC) \u2013 the nonprofit consumer-education arm of the International Sleep Products Association \u2013 homework, rather than social pressure, is the number one cause of teenage stress, negatively affecting their sleep and ultimately impacting their academic performance.<\/p>\n

American teenagers said they spend 15+ hours a week on homework, and about one-third (34%) of all teens spend 20 or more hours a week. This is more than time spent at work, school clubs, social activities and sports. When asked what causes stress in their lives, about three-quarters of teens said grades\/test scores (75%) and\/or homework (74%) cause stress, more than self-esteem (51%), parental expectations (45%) and even bullying (15%). In fact, according to the American Psychological Association’s<\/a> Stress in America\u2122 Survey, during the school year, teenagers say they experience stress levels higher than those reported by adults.<\/p>\n

Further, more than half (57%) of all teenagers surveyed do not feel they get enough sleep. Seventy-nine percent reported getting 7 hours of sleep or less on a typical school night, more than two-thirds (67%) say they only get 5 to 7 hours of sleep on a school night, and only about one in five teens is getting 8 hours of sleep or more. Based on the BSC’s findings, the more stressed teenagers feel, the more likely they are to get less sleep, go to bed later and wake up earlier. They are also more likely to have trouble going to sleep and staying asleep \u2013 more often than their less-stressed peers.<\/p>\n

“We’re finding that teenagers are experiencing this cycle where they sacrifice their sleep to spend extra time on homework, which gives them more stress \u2013 but they don’t get better grades,”\u00a0said Mary Helen Rogers<\/span>, vice president of marketing and communications for the Better Sleep Council. “The BSC understands the impact sleep has on teenagers’ overall development, so we can help them reduce this stress through improved sleep habits.”<\/p>\n

The BSC recommends that teens between the ages of 13-18 get 8-10 hours of sleep per night. For teens to get the sleep their bodies need for optimal school performance, they should consider the following tips:<\/p>\n