Stanford Center on Adolescence

As a result of this monumental 10 year project, they learned that sleep need decreases little, if at all during the second decade of life, and may even increase. They found that sexually mature adolescents were sleepy in the daytime compared to when they were 10, 11, and 12 years old. This was true even when they obtained three more hours of nightly sleep than they habitually obtained during their ordinary lives.

Dr. Dement pursued this issue when he was chairman of the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research. They investigated several high schools and confirmed that adolescents generally are severely sleep deprived; and Dr. Carskadon continued to pursue the issue in her post-Stanford career. He also started public policy initiatives to address this issue during his last 12 year presidency of the American Sleep Disorders Association.

They also learned that there is a major shift in circadian rhythms in early adolescence. There is a marked circadian phase delay. This means that with the traditional high school schedules, adolescents start school too early, leave school too early, go to bed too late, and must get up in the morning far too early to obtain adequate sleep. Sleep is a core process that is involved in mood regulation, cognitive performance, and health in general. The traditional high school schedule is a major factor in severe sleep deprivation, mood disorders, drug use, and dropping out. He is currently pursuing this agenda intensely as a public policy issue, and working with members of the United States Congress and members of the California State Legislature as well as other venues.