Summarise and Respond: Why Teenagers Can't Sleep

The Problem Isn't Laziness. It's Biology.

Every morning, millions of teenagers drag themselves out of bed before their brains are ready to be awake. Parents often blame late-night phone use, and screens certainly don't help. But researchers who study sleep point to a less obvious cause: during adolescence, the body's internal clock shifts. The hormone that makes us feel sleepy is released later in the evening than it is in children or adults, so many teenagers genuinely cannot fall asleep until eleven o'clock or later.

If they still need around eight to ten hours of sleep, as most studies suggest, a 7 am alarm guarantees a shortfall. The consequences go beyond yawning in first period. Chronic lack of sleep has been linked to poorer concentration, lower mood and a greater risk of accidents among young drivers.

Some school districts have responded by starting lessons later. Where this has been tried, studies have reported that students sleep longer, attend more regularly and, in some cases, achieve slightly better results. Critics raise practical objections: later finishing times clash with sports and part-time jobs, bus timetables must be rearranged, and working parents may struggle with the new schedule.

Few researchers claim that a later start is a cure-all. Good habits still matter, from keeping screens out of the bedroom to getting daylight in the morning. But, they argue, it makes little sense to design the school day around the needs of adults and then criticise teenagers for failing to fit it.

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