Snoozeletter: 🧠 This isn’t laziness. It’s biology.

Apr 12

Written By Sarah Petroski

APRIL 2025 🌸

Teen sleep isn’t a discipline issue—it’s a circadian one

Hi Robert,

If you’re reading this with a warm mug in hand and nowhere to be—perfect. We’re doing sleep science the slow way today.

From as early as I can remember, sleep was elusive. My mother tells the tale of how, when I finally slept through the night at four years old, she woke up in a panic, sure something was wrong.

At seven, I'd lie awake, flashlight in hand, devouring books under the covers. My mind—a whirlwind of curiosity—refused to settle. Mornings were battles: groggy awakenings, and missed buses,

*Most kids are not chronic night-owls this young (this was more than likely a sleep related symptom of my yet to be diagnosed ADHD) but by puberty many kids bedtime and wake time shift later (more on that in a moment).

By fourteen, the pattern persisted. Desperate to feel awake, I slammed coffee while waiting for the yellow bus and a pile of empty mugs collected at the end of the driveway—that is, if I even made it outside in time. Desperate to feel rested, sometimes I would pretend to leave for school, only to sneak back into the house and cur up to sleep beside our water heater in the basement. I wasn’t trying to skip school. I just wanted more sleep.

Despite being an honor student, I began to believe something was wrong with me. Why couldn’t I go to sleep—or wake up—when I was supposed to? Detentions piled up for sleeping in class, only to be compassionately erased by a dean who saw beyond the surface.

College intensified the struggle. Early classes were missed. A diagnosis of ADHD brought stimulant prescriptions that pushed sleep even further out of reach. The cycle became relentless: late nights, groggy mornings, and an unshakable sense of inadequacy.

Chronic exhaustion weighed on me—and quietly, a sadness crept in. Sleep deprivation affects emotional regulation, after all.

And over time, a poor night’s sleep can calcify into a poor self-concept.

It’s only in hindsight, through the lens of research, that I understand the physiological underpinnings of my experience.

Slide credit to Rochelle Zozula, PhD, DABSMSleep Services International, LLCClinical Associate Professor of Neuroscience,Seton Hall University

🧠 The Science Behind the Struggle

Adolescence brings a natural shift in circadian rhythms known as delayed sleep phase, which causes teens to fall asleep and wake later. This shift is biological—not behavioral—and yet it clashes with early school start times, parental expectations, and cultural narratives around productivity.

Up to 16% of adolescents are affected by delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), which is strongly associated with ADHD, anxiety, and depression. For those with ADHD, the struggle is even greater. Studies show a significant overlap between ADHD and DSPD, often linked to delayed melatonin secretion and persistent disruptions in sleep-wake cycles. (Sleep Foundation)

This dual burden—of being both neurologically wired for later rhythms and navigating a world that demands early wakefulness—exacerbates emotional dysregulation, academic struggles, and self-esteem issues. And because poor sleep mimics symptoms of ADHD, misdiagnoses are common, while underlying sleep disorders go unaddressed.

And yet, many school systems remain unchanged. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.—but the average U.S. school still rings its first bell well before then.

In practice, the responsibility to manage these misalignments falls on the child and their caregivers. And when treatment involves children, especially those still developing hormonally, non-melatonin interventions like light timing, movement, and consistent routines are recommended over supplementation.

Crucially, simply instructing a teen to “go to bed earlier” is ineffective—and often harmful. For those with delayed sleep phase or insomnia, the bed itself can become a trigger for hyperarousal.

A better approach? Begin dimming lights, reducing stimulation, and creating a low-light wind-down space outside the bedroom two to three hours before the desired sleep time.

🛌 Advocating for Change

We need a paradigm shift—one that recognizes sleep as a core part of adolescent health, not a luxury or an afterthought. Organizations like Start School Later are leading that charge, pushing for legislation and policy reform to better align school schedules with circadian biology.

But we can’t wait for policy to catch up. We need to start shifting the culture—at home, in schools, in ourselves.

stock image alamy

🌀 Reflection Prompt:

What if, instead of asking:

“Why won’t they just go to bed earlier?”,

we asked:
What does the world look like through the eyes of a child who can’t fall asleep before midnight, no matter how hard they try?

What would change if we believed them?

If we softened our assumptions—about effort, attitude, and ability—and instead asked:

What support does this child need to feel safe, seen, and rested in a world that moves faster than their biology allows?

Sleep Practice of the Week:

If you live with or love a teen who struggles to wake up, pause before labeling them lazy or oppositional. Step into their shoes: a body buzzing at night, a brain that won’t quiet down, a 7am alarm that feels like punishment.

Instead of punishment, start with permission:

– Let them sleep in on weekends without shame.
– Dim the lights an hour before bed.
– Offer compassion, not commands.

And if you're in a position to advocate—whether as a parent, educator, or policy maker—consider supporting Start School Later.

Because honoring sleep is one of the most radical ways we can honor growing minds.

Until next week,
Sleep softly,
Sarah