Why does my teenager stay up so late and struggle to wake?

Puberty genuinely shifts the body clock later; a teen not sleepy before midnight is biology, not defiance, colliding with early school bells. Phones in bed and late caffeine then stretch a natural shift into true deprivation.

Teens need eight to ten hours. What helps: consistent wake times even weekends within reason, morning daylight, caffeine off by early afternoon, and chargers parked outside the bedroom overnight as a family rule that includes adults.

A teen sleeping enough hours yet always exhausted, or snoring loudly, deserves a medical look rather than a motivation lecture.