This year Whitlock goes to a nearby high school and gets a little more sleep. Still, she said, many of her classmates are sleeping right through their first period class. Some may wonder why these teens just don't go to bed earlier. But most parents of teenagers know you can lead a teenager to bed, but you can't make him go to sleep. Well new studies show there's a good reason for this.
Recent research reveals sleep patterns change at puberty.
Biologically most teens can't fall asleep before 10 p.m. They do need eight to 10 hours of sleep a night and their deepest sleep is around five to seven in the morning. Dr. Norina Ocampo, a pediatrician at West Boca Medical Center, said that parents are always bringing in their sleep deprived kids. They need that sleep because that is the most restful sleep. If that sleep is interrupted, they don't feel well rested at all.