Why do we sleep?
Explore the importance of sleep for development, restoration, learning and everyday functioning.
Understanding why sleep matters for learning, wellbeing, healthy development and life across the life course.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teenagers aged 13–18 years should regularly sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours to support optimal health and daytime alertness.
WHO's adolescent-health guidance emphasizes that adolescence is a critical period for physical, cognitive and psychosocial development and that young people need supportive environments in which to grow and thrive.
Duration matters, but so do sleep quality, regularity, timing, the sleep environment and the conditions that make adequate sleep possible.
Sleep is an essential part of healthy development. During adolescence, young people experience rapid physical, cognitive and psychosocial changes, making adequate rest particularly important.
Good sleep supports attention, learning, memory, emotional regulation, physical recovery and everyday functioning. Inadequate sleep can interfere with these areas and can affect how young people experience school, relationships and daily life.
But sleep should not be framed simply as an individual's responsibility. School schedules, family circumstances, housing, noise, light, technology, work, caregiving, safety and socioeconomic conditions can all influence opportunities for healthy sleep.
These are invitations to notice your own sleep patterns, not a test and not a diagnosis.
How many hours do I usually sleep on school nights?
Do my sleep and wake times change substantially between weekdays and weekends?
Do I usually wake feeling rested or still very tired?
Does my bedroom provide a comfortable environment for sleep?
How do screens, notifications or online activities affect my bedtime routine?
Does school, work, commuting or family responsibility affect my opportunity to sleep?
How do I feel during the day after getting enough sleep compared with too little?
What helps me establish a calm and predictable bedtime routine?
Is there one small change that could make my sleep routine more supportive?
What could I do to help create better sleep conditions for someone else?
Explore the importance of sleep for development, restoration, learning and everyday functioning.
Understand the 8–10 hour recommendation and why sleep needs vary across stages of development.
Explore the relationship between adequate sleep, attention, memory, concentration and school life.
Understand why sleep and emotional wellbeing can influence one another without assuming a simple one-way cause.
Discover why biological changes during adolescence can affect sleep timing and morning alertness.
Think critically about evening technology use, notifications, online activity and sleep routines.
Consider how school schedules and early start times can affect young people's opportunities for sleep.
Explore how housing, noise, light, safety, crowding and resources can shape sleep opportunities.
Identify practical, age-appropriate ways to create a supportive and consistent sleep environment.
Connect healthy sleep during adolescence with health, wellbeing and functioning across adulthood and healthy ageing.
Sleep becomes a global health issue when we ask not only how individuals sleep, but also what conditions make healthy sleep possible.
Not everyone has the same opportunity to obtain adequate, good-quality sleep. Sleep is influenced by conditions beyond individual behaviour.
Is the home quiet, safe and comfortable? Is there crowding, noise, light or insecurity?
How do school schedules, labour policies, housing systems and social protection affect opportunities for healthy sleep?
How do poverty, conflict, displacement, urbanization, inequality and environmental conditions shape sleep around the world?
“What helps young people around me get enough good-quality sleep—and what makes it harder?”
Think beyond personal routines. Consider family life, school schedules, housing, safety, technology, work, culture and the resources available to different people.
Identify one realistic change that could make your sleep routine more supportive.
Encourage routines and environments that respect everyone's need for adequate rest.
Identify one environmental or structural barrier that can interfere with healthy sleep.
Ask how healthier housing, education, safety and social conditions could improve sleep equity.
Ten questions to help you check what you have learned.
1. What amount of sleep is generally recommended for teenagers aged 13–18?
2. Which statement best describes the importance of sleep?
3. Why can adolescent sleep timing change during puberty?
4. Which is an example of a social determinant of sleep?
5. Which statement best reflects a GHE perspective?
6. Why might school schedules matter for adolescent sleep?
7. Which question demonstrates critical thinking about sleep?
8. Which SDG is most directly connected with health and wellbeing, including healthy sleep?
9. Which action best reflects the GHE principle of creating healthier conditions for others?
10. What is the broader life-course message of this subject?
I can make healthy choices for myself, and I can help create healthier conditions for others.
Healthy sleep is both personal and social. We can learn to care for our own wellbeing while also recognizing the conditions that help other people thrive.
From well-rested young people → to healthier and more productive societies → to healthy and active ageing.
Global adolescent-health evidence: World Health Organization (WHO), Global standards for quality health care services for adolescents, 2025.
WHO adolescent-health framework: WHO, Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!) — Second Edition, 2023.
Sleep-duration evidence: American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), consensus recommendation for adolescents aged 13–18, 8–10 hours per 24 hours.
GHE last reviewed: August 2026
Next scheduled review: August 2027