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According to the CDC's webpage on Sleep in Middle and High School Students:

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that [...] teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.

Here's the thing. I want my teen to get his 8 hours of sleep-time everyday, but he's been complaining about not having enough time to complete his schoolwork and wants to do 6-7 hours instead. Just how fine is it for a teenager to sleep less than the recommended 8 hours, and what are the potential consequences?

I'm assuming 7 hours is probably alright & I'm thinking about this too much, but I don't want to underestimate the importance of one extra hour, no matter how small of a fraction it is.

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  • +1 and welcome to the community! In late 2009 I tried to sleep 9 hours/day and what happened was that from January 2020 to maybe April 2020 I could not sleep at all. My 0 hours/day of sleep then became 40 minutes/day, then 2 hours/day, then eventually I became normal again. Do not force your teenager to sleep more than they need. I do not see the relevance of the CDC here.
    – Nike Dattani
    Nov 2, 2022 at 0:41

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Some people require less sleep than others. It's perfectly fine as long as he is not becoming sleep deprived. The recommendation is only general advice that works for most people. If it is too little for him, then you will know in a few days as he acquires a "sleep debt".

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  • i almost never slept when I was a teen; I'm not dead yet
    – bigbadmouse
    Nov 4, 2022 at 13:35
  • +1 I read that recently, 8 hours is a general guide, but individual needs vary. Like you say, allow it and monitor the situation.
    – theDADDY
    Nov 28, 2022 at 12:05

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