Written by Kayla Carpenter, Jeremy Hsieh, Ava Loos, Coco Mori, and Ophelia Lanag
This post was written by high school students from the UCLA Summer Research Boot Camp in Adolescent Development led by UCLA professor of education Sandra Graham and UCLA professor of psychology and CDA’s co-executive director Andrew Fuligni. This boot camp was facilitated by graduate students Ava Trimble, Jasmine Hernandez, and Clare McCann and was supported by the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent.
What if the secret to better mental health, longer attention span, and fewer mood swings was just… more sleep? At the UCLA Summer Research Boot Camp, we learned about the development of the adolescent brain, with a week dedicated to learning about sleep. This included sleep cycles, which contribute to better or worse sleep, and the effects of different sleep quality. Additionally, the Boot Camp taught us as students about the steps and methods of research, and how to put together proposals to get research done.
Understanding New Sleep Patterns and Needs during Adolescence
The science we learned at UCLA Research Boot Camp is beyond interesting—it has real-world consequences. As teens, we are forced to operate on arranged schedules that do not align with our biological clock. The consequences are disadvantages that can compound across all aspects of life. Students are compelled to wake up earlier for school, partake in after-school commitments, complete heavy homework loads, and align their personal schedules with transportation.
Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to lower academic performance, higher stress levels, and a greater risk of mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety. Physical health is also impaired as a lack of sleep weakens the immune system, which can impact development.
The misalignment of societal expectations and teen biology leads to students often being judged and mischaracterized as unmotivated, when in reality, our brains are still developing in ways that may encourage later sleep. By understanding this gap between expectations and biology, we can shift from blaming teens to rethinking how society can use this scientific knowledge to set us up for success.
Interventions to Promote Healthy Sleep
We hope that schools will take steps toward starting the day later, allowing students to begin learning at a time that works with, rather than against, their natural sleep cycles.
Parents can help by setting boundaries around technology use at night and encouraging healthier nighttime routines that make it easier to fall asleep. Policymakers and educators should consider the research on adolescent brain development when creating schedules and expectations for students. In addition, raising public awareness about the importance of teen sleep can help shift the focus from blaming teens for being tired to understanding the biological changes behind it.
By acting on this knowledge, communities can create conditions that give teens a better chance to succeed both in and out of the classroom.
Conclusion
Attending the UCLA Research Boot Camp on Adolescent Development has helped open our eyes to the critical role sleep plays in shaping our mental, emotional, and physical well-being during these formative adolescent years. We now understand that the challenges teens face with sleep are not just about the choices they make, but are rooted in real, biological changes. With this knowledge, we hope to inspire schools to consider later start times, parents to support healthy screen habits, and policymakers to design rules that reflect the science of the adolescent brain. Furthermore, certain assumptions are made about teens’ sleep habits, when in reality, these habits are simply a signifier that the teen brain is still developing. So, by bridging the gap between biology and assumptions, we are capable of creating environments that encourage teens to thrive rather than struggle. Ultimately, better sleep is not just about a personal goal for adolescents, but a vital step towards a healthier mind, improved learning, and a brighter future for all adolescents!
