title: Sleep patterns and problems in adolescents.
abstract: A sleep questionnaire was administered to 390 students in an urban high school. Total sleep hours per week appeared to decrease between the ages of 12 and 18 years. In general, girls slept more than boys. The quality of sleep and the perception of sleep adequacy also decreased with age. Reporting of the occasional use of sleep medications and alcohol at bedtime was 4.6% and 10.5%, respectively. These findings suggest that sleep problems among adolescents represent normal physiologic processes as well as some serious disturbances that may reflect the social pressures prevalent during adolescence.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*