ABSTRACT
Most readers will be aware that the sleep patterns of teenagers differ in important ways from those of adults. The timing of the start of the adult working day means that the sleep needs of teenagers take second place. Research shows that teenagers need more sleep than adults. This chapter reviews what happens during sleep, and shows why sleep matters for young people. It is now time to turn to an examination of what actually happens during sleep. The chapter considers the link between sleep and learning, and then review the impact of sleep deprivation. It discusses some of the interventions that have been developed to address the sleep problem. An intervention study in Australia on sleep education looked at various different conditions. The chapter concludes by considering why the teenage sleep pattern has developed differently from that of adults.
