Final answer:
Research indicates that adolescents will sleep about 8-10 hours each night, which is more than adults who average fewer than 7 hours. Adolescents need more sleep due to developmental needs, highlighted by a study where teenagers had a mean sleep time of 8.9 hours.
Step-by-step explanation:
Studies have shown that teenagers generally require more sleep than adults due to the demands of their developing bodies and brains. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep for adults, but adolescents often need more. For example, a study involving a sample of 16 teenagers found a mean sleep time of 8.9 hours per night. This is above the adult average, with a sample of 12 adults having a mean sleep time of 6.9 hours. Insufficient sleep in adolescents can lead to decreased alertness and mental efficiency, among other undesirable effects.
Sleep patterns tend to follow a trend throughout the lifespan, decreasing from up to 16 hours a day in infancy to fewer than 7 hours a day by the time we reach 65 years old. During adolescence, due to biological changes and increased demands on time, the amount of sleep needed remains higher than that for adults.