Sleep need in adolescents: a longitudinal approach

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Sleep Medicine
• Developmental Psychology
• Chronobiology

Background:

• Adolescence is characterized by significant biological and social changes impacting sleep patterns.
• Reduced sleep duration is common during adolescence, often leading to daytime sleepiness and impaired functioning.
• Understanding subjective sleep needs and their relationship to objective sleep parameters is crucial for adolescent well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and consistency of subjective sleep need, defined as the wish for more sleep (MSL), in adolescents over time.
• To examine the relationship between MSL and objective sleep parameters, such as time in bed (TIB) and sleep habits.
• To explore the long-term sleep history and adaptation challenges associated with MSL in adolescents.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study involving 190 high school students (aged 10-14 at baseline) who completed sleep questionnaires five times at 2-year intervals.
• Subjective sleep need assessed by the 'wish for more sleep' (MSL) and compared with subjects reporting sufficient sleep (SSL).
• Sleep parameters including TIB on weekdays and vacations, sleep regularity, and morning tiredness were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The wish for more sleep (MSL) was prevalent, reported by 54.3% to 74.5% of adolescents across the study years, but individual consistency was low (14.5%).
• MSL was validated by morning tiredness and associated with reduced weekday TIB and longer vacation TIB in later surveys.
• Adolescents with MSL exhibited more irregular sleep habits and a consistent deficit of 1.7 hours of desired sleep on weekdays since early adolescence.

Conclusions:

• A substantial proportion of adolescents experience difficulties adapting to the natural reduction in sleep time during their developmental stage.
• Subjective sleep need, indicated by the wish for more sleep, is a significant issue for many teenagers, linked to chronic sleep debt.
• Early and persistent sleep difficulties in adolescence warrant attention to prevent long-term negative consequences on health and academic performance.