Teens aren’t getting enough sleep—but social media isn’t to blame. A national Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows around three quarters of adolescents aren’t getting eight hours of sleep a night as of 2023, 8% more than in 2007. But the issue is most starkly noticeable in the 23% of teens getting only five or less, compared to 15.8% in 2007. And while many may jump to assume screentime and social media are keeping them up, there’s actually no correlation there. Instead, early start times at school (which researchers have proven impacts sleep quality), extracurricular demands, and more are likely driving it, as teens with lower screen times are actually the ones sleeping less. Losing sleep time is happening across the board for teens of all demographics, pointing to what experts see as a real issue for their mental, emotional, and physical health. (NPR)
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