Normal Sleep in Children and Adolescence

Alex Agostini; Stephanie Centofanti

doi:10.1016/j.psc.2023.06.001

Normal Sleep in Children and Adolescence

Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2024 Mar;47(1):1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2023.06.001.

Authors

Alex Agostini¹, Stephanie Centofanti²

Affiliations

¹ Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. Electronic address: alex.agostini@unisa.edu.au.
² UniSA Online, University of South Australia, University of South Australia Online, L4, Catherine Helen Spence Building, City West Campus, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.

PMID: 38302199
DOI: 10.1016/j.psc.2023.06.001

Abstract

Adequate sleep is essential for healthy development in childhood and adolescence. Healthy sleep contributes to good physical health, immune function, mental health, and academic performance. The regulation and architecture of sleep change greatly across childhood and adolescence, and the ability to obtain sufficient sleep is impacted by a range of factors that change with maturation. This article describes normal sleep across childhood and adolescence and discusses some of the most common barriers to adequate sleep, including early school start times, technology use, and changes to circadian rhythms, and sleep homeostasis across puberty.

Keywords: Adolescents; Barriers to healthy sleep; Children; Mental health; Physical health; Sleep; Technology.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Circadian Rhythm* / physiology
Humans
Schools
Sleep* / physiology