National Sleep Foundation Releases Evidence-Based Recommendations for Adolescent Sleep Health

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- National Sleep Foundation (NSF), the leading authority on sleep health research and education for the public, today announced the publication of its new evidence-based recommendations for adolescent sleep health in the peer-reviewed journal Sleep Health. These recommendations come at a critical moment, as NSF previously has reported on some of the unprecedented pressures adolescents face that challenge their ability to get enough quality sleep.

Sleep is crucial for teens' health and well-being, influencing physical health, mood, academic and extracurricular performance, and safety. However, biological, psychological, and social changes during development often make it difficult for adolescents to get the sleep they need. As a result, the percentage of adolescents who achieve optimal sleep has steadily diminished for decades.

To address this growing public health need, National Sleep Foundation sponsored a multidisciplinary Adolescent Sleep Health Conference to review the evidence and develop recommendations to support adolescent sleep across healthcare, education, athletics, transportation, and the workforce.

"The sleep habits people establish as children can have measurable, lasting effects on cardiovascular health, mental health outcomes, academic achievement, and even their risk for chronic disease in adulthood. These recommendations give everyone in a young person's life, from parents and pediatricians to school administrators and coaches, a clear, actionable and evidence-based framework they can adapt to their particular circumstances," said David Gozal, MD, MBA, PhD, who chaired the initiative.

"These recommendations reflect the collective insight of the diverse professionals NSF brought together for this initiative. By engaging experts across healthcare, education, athletics, transportation, and workforce development, we were able to build guidance that recognizes the real-world environments where adolescents live, learn, and grow. This collaborative approach is essential for creating the conditions that allow teens to get the sleep they need," added Joseph Dzierzewski, PhD, SVP Research and Scientific Affairs, National Sleep Foundation.

As the independent organization that established the most widely cited sleep duration recommendations, as well as authored fundamental publications on sleep quality, sleep satisfaction, sleep timing, sleep and screen use, and the sleep required for safe driving, NSF continues to lead efforts to translate sleep science and insight into practical public health guidance. These adolescent sleep health recommendations build directly on NSF's portfolio of published guidelines and position statements, to help educate the public about sleep health across the lifespan. Most recently, NSF's Drowsy Driving Position Statement was published in Sleep Health.

NSF encourages families, educators, policymakers, and clinicians to use these recommendations to support healthier sleep for all adolescents. For more information about NSF's adolescent sleep health recommendations, visit: https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(26)00002-1/fulltext.

About the National Sleep Foundation
There's only one National Sleep Foundation (NSF). NSF is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the NSF is committed to advancing excellence in sleep health theory, research and practice. In its 35 years, NSF has promoted sleep health through expert recommendations, consensus guidelines, tech standards, and easy-to-use tips and tools to improve sleep. For more information about NSF, visit www.theNSF.org │ SleepHealthJournal.org.

SOURCE National Sleep Foundation