title: A cross-cultural comparison of sleep duration between US And Australian adolescents: the effect of school start time, parent-set bedtimes, and extracurricular load.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test whether sleep duration on school nights differs between adolescents in Australia and the United States and, if so, whether this difference is explained by cultural differences in school start time, parental involvement in setting bedtimes, and extracurricular commitments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred eighty-five adolescents aged 13 to 18 years (M = 15.57, SD = 0.95; 60% male) from Australia and 302 adolescents aged 13 to 19 years (M = 16.03, SD = 1.19; 35% male) from the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescents completed the School Sleep Habits Survey during class time, followed by an 8-day sleep diary.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for age and gender, Australian adolescents obtained an average of 47 minutes more sleep per school night than those in the United States. Australian adolescents were more likely to have a parent-set bedtime (17.5% vs. 6.8%), have a later school start time (8:32 a.m. vs. 7:45 a.m.), and spend less time per day on extracurricular commitments (1 h 37 min vs. 2 h 41 min) than their U.S. peers. The mediating factors of parent-set bedtimes, later school start times, and less time spent on extracurricular activities were significantly associated with more total sleep.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to biological factors, extrinsic cultural factors significantly affect adolescent sleep. The present study highlights the importance of a cross-cultural, ecological approach and the impact of early school start times, lack of parental limit setting around bedtimes, and extracurricular load in limiting adolescent sleep.
authors.affiliation: Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. michelle.short@unisa.edu.au
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Short
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gradisar
authors.forename: Leon C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lack
authors.forename: Helen R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Julia F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dewald
authors.forename: Amy R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wolfson
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Carskadon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D012890:Sleep; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D017748:Time Management; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult