Abstract

Adolescent sleep health is becoming increasingly recognized internationally as a significant concern, with many countries reporting high incidences of sleep disturbance in our youth. Notwithstanding the value of findings obtained from each large-scale survey of adolescent sleep performed within individual countries, the field lacks synthesis and analysis of adolescent sleep studies into a single review. This review presents findings from a meta-analysis of 41 surveys of worldwide adolescent sleep patterns and problems published in the last decade (1999–2010). Sleep patterns tended to delay with increasing age, restricting school-night sleep. Notably, Asian adolescents’ bedtimes were later than peers from North America and Europe, resulting in less total sleep time on school nights and a tendency for higher rates of daytime sleepiness. Weekend sleep data were generally consistent worldwide, with bedtimes 2+ hours later and more total sleep time obtained. We note a worldwide delayed sleep–wake behavior pattern exists consistent with symptoms of Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder, which may be exacerbated by cultural factors. Recommendations for future surveys of adolescent sleep patterns are discussed and provided in light of current methodological limitations and gaps in the literature.