Teenagers need a lie-in, say scientists

Teenagers with an unlimited capacity to stay in bed at weekends are not being lazy but are catching up on a week of sleep deprivation, scientists have found.

A study has shown that teenagers need more sleep than they usually get during the week, with the result that at the weekend they need to compensate with a long lie-in. The findings came from a study of 729 subjects aged 12 to 17 who were admitted to an American juvenile detention centre.

Kathryn Reid, of the Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, found that a substantial number of the teenagers said they felt sleepy during the daytime and needed to sleep longer than the usual eight hours. The report suggested either starting school later, or for teenagers to go to bed earlier – which might not be so popular.