School & District Management

Homework, Friends Help Shape Teenagers’ Sleep Patterns

By Sarah D. Sparks — December 10, 2013 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Includes updates and/or revisions.

It’s no secret that students’ sleep habits deteriorate in puberty, but high schoolers may owe their sleep-encrusted eyes as much to social changes as biological ones.

A new University of Cincinnati study finds parents, peers, and school environment are more likely to predict whether a student sleeps well than developmental stage alone.

Previous research has shown adolescents have a natural drop in melatonin, a chemical that promotes sleepiness. That can make it harder for them to go to sleep and make them more vulnerable to other physical interruptions of their circadian sleep cycle, such as those created by melatonin-suppressing light. (‘Blue Light’ May Impair Students’ Sleep, Studies Say, Dec. 11, 2013)

“When adolescents have trouble sleeping, doctors often recommend prescription drugs to address the problem,” said David J. Maume, the study author and a sociology professor at the university. “My research indicates that it’s necessary to look beyond biology when seeking to understand and treat adolescents’ sleep problems.”

Role of Homework, Friends

The study, published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, tracked the sleep habits of 974 middle-class adolescents over three years, from the ages of 12 to 15. During that time, the teenagers’ average sleep time dropped from more than nine hours each school night in 6th grade to less than eight hours each school night by age 15.

That’s in line with the most recent study, in 2006, of adolescents by the Arlington, Va.-based National Sleep Foundation, which found adolescents’ bedtime drags from 9:24 p.m. on average in 6th grade to after 11 p.m. by senior year, though their average school start-times remain at 7:30 a.m. The foundation considers nine hours a night to be “optimal” sleep for students from grades 6-12 and anything less than eight hours a night to be “insufficient.”

Students who reported heavy loads of homework were significantly more likely to be sleep-deprived, particularly if the homework load had increased a lot from age 12 to 15. Moreover, students who used computers frequently on school nights were more likely to have shorter and more sporadic sleep.

Friends could help or hurt students’ sleep habits, Mr. Maume also found. Students who reported a strong attachment to their schools and positive relationships with friends had longer and less disrupted sleep.

“Teens who have prosocial friends tend to behave in prosocial ways, which includes taking care of one’s health by getting proper sleep,” he said.

However, students who reported stressful relationships with friends or disengagement at school had worse sleep habits. In particular, girls were more likely than boys to report sleep problems related to “worrying about homework, friends, or family.”

Students whose parents remained closely involved and kept set bedtimes as students got older had longer and less disrupted sleep.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the December 11, 2013 edition of Education Week as Biology Explains Only Part Of Teenagers’ Sleep Losses

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion The Stunning Resignation of UVA President Jim Ryan—and Why It Matters
The university president’s departure is more than just a headline. It’s a lesson in leadership.
2 min read
Opinion Licensed Not for Reuse Wait What FCG
Canva
School & District Management In Their Own Words This Custodian Got Students to Stop Vandalizing and Take Pride in Their School
Andy Markus, the 2025 Education Support Professional of the Year, helped boost behavior and engagement in his Utah district.
5 min read
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 Representative Assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year.
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 representative assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional of the Year for his mentorship of students.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
School & District Management What the Research Says About School Boards: How Much Conflict Really Is There?
Plus, how competitive are board elections? How much do teachers' union endorsements matter?
7 min read
Houston ISD's appointed school board votes on the "District of Innovation" status during their monthly work session meeting at HISD Central Office on Sept. 7, 2023 in Houston.
Houston's appointed school board takes a vote during a meeting on Sept. 7, 2023 in the district's central office. A number of studies from recent years have answered questions about school boards' makeup, how competitive board elections are, whether conflict is on the rise, and more.
Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP
School & District Management Opinion How a Weekly Email to My Staff Made Me a Better District Leader
Writing helps make sense out of what feels messy and focus us on what's most important.
George Philhower
5 min read
Blue hand holding red pen.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty + Education Week