Teenagers need more sleep than younger kids

Question

This article claims that teenagers need more sleep than younger age groups due to a "natural shift in circadian rhythm," said by Laura Sterni, a sleep expert at Johns Hopkins. This article continues to cover how teenagers start having a harder time falling asleep before 11 pm because of the physical changes that occur when puberty happens along with the added stressors of being a teenager. Pediatrician, Michael Crocetti breaks down why teenagers need about an hour or more of sleep (9 to 9 1/2 hours of sleep per night) than they did in earlier years. "Teenagers are going through a second developmental stage of cognitive maturation," explains Crocetti. Along with the credibility of website the article was posted on, this article incorporates information on the sleep expert and pediatrician, adding to the reliability of this information so the reader can easily fact check. Here are the links to these profiles: (Sleep expert) https://profiles.hopkinsmedicine.org/provider/laura-m-sterni/2709207 (Pediatrician) https://profiles.hopkinsmedicine.org/provider/michael-crocetti/2707086. Because of all of this information, I agree with the claim that teenagers need more sleep than younger children due to their development.

Answer 1

In these articles it makes many claims on why teenagers need more sleep than younger kids. "What we often forget is that you don't only change physically during puberty, but your brain is changing a lot too, which requires additional sleep." says Hanne Hoffman, an assistant professor in College of Agriculture and Natural Recourses. Although teenagers do need more sleep most don't reach the amount of sleep they need, Teenagers are also said to need more sleep than both younger kids and adults. "Sleep research suggests that a teenager needs between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every night." "Yet most adolescents only get about 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep per night, and some get less". After researching, I say that this claim is True.

https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2023/Ask-the-expert-why-do-teenagers-need-more-sleep

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep

Comments

I find the use of quotes to emphasized the evidence of the claim as a way to factcheck intriguing. I also think it is valuable that you used different research to support the claim giving a more broad perspective on the topic. The links provided additionally are from government and State school affiliated providing factuality and reliability. With one of the links being recent, only a year ago, emphasizing its relevance. However I do think that part of this factcheck could have included some highlights from the claim itself and the sources the initial poster made. And then used the research you additionally found. As I still am unsure if the resources of the initial poster are reliable.

Answer 2

Johns Hopkins is a highly reputable institution known for its medical expertise and research. While this article does refer to two trusted authorities on the claim, it does not offer any clinical evidence That being said there is a history of studies corroborating this claim making it a reliable resource despite the absence of direct citations. These include (Paruthi et al., 2016), (Hirshkowitz et al., 2015), (Talbot et al., 2010), (Carskadon, 1990).

Comments

I like how you referenced real doctors and medical professionals. This gives more incite on a topic that is very up-in-the-air and is a large debate at the moment. It provides more clarity and perspective on the situation. The citations were also perfectly made.

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Referencing medical authorities and validating John Hopkins credibility while also making sure to note the lack of clinical evidence is a fantastic fact check.

Answer 3

This article is claiming that teenagers need more sleep than younger kids. The original source for this information comes from pediatrician Michael Crocetti, M.D., M.P.H. This article was published by Johns Hopkins which is a trustworthy medical organization. Upon further research there are other articles with similar or the same points. I believe this article is legitimate.

Comments

You wrote: Upon further research there are other articles with similar or the same points.

Please always include relevant source links and citations. This will make for a stronger fact-check. Thanks!

Answer 4

John Hopkins medicine states that teenagers need more sleep than younger kids. The claim in the subtitles match the content and data within the article page. The writer of the article cites experts like Laura Sterni, a sleep expert or a pediatrician, Michael Crocetti to back up the information. There are other valid sites like NIH and other universities posting similar claims as well. The writing in the article seems pretty balanced and I don't see bias. However, this article doesn't provide any information on when it was posted or when data was collected, which is important to provide to make sure the article is valid at this time.

Comments

You wrote: There are other valid sites like NIH and other universities posting similar claims as well

Please always include relevant source links within your fact-check. Thanks!

Answer 5

This claim is true in that sleep is very important for teenagers, but it doesn't seem like it's more important than for younger kids. It seems like sleep for teenagers is important more specifically for them. The information is from Johns Hopkins which is a reputable source with professionals corroborating it. The article doesn't give direct studies which is something others have also pointed out. 

Another source that shows how important sleep is for teenagers is here:

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/teens-and-sleep/how-much-sleep-does-a-teenager-need