Sleep Duration, Quality, and Factors Affecting Sleep Health Among Young People in the California Bay Area: A Cross-Sectional Study

Adequate sleep is essential for adolescent health, learning, and emotional well-being. However, youth sleep deprivation is a long-term growing public health challenge. This study investigates sleep duration and quality, factors significantly affecting sleep, perceptions, and resource awareness among young people in California's San Francisco Bay Area. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2024 and February 2025, involving 1,189 participants ranging from 10 to 24 years of age (in accordance with the WHO definition of young people), administered both in person and online. The instrument, reviewed by physicians for validity, assessed sleep duration, frequency of sleep disturbances, multiple sleep-affecting factors, students' academic performance, emotional and behavioral challenges, perceived sleep needs, attitudes toward sleep, and awareness of resources. Descriptive statistical analyses and prevalence ratio analyses were conducted. The median sleep duration was 7 hours (mean = 6.68), which fell short of the recommended duration. While 1093 (91.9%) rated sleep as important, only 472 (39.7%) reported awareness of the available resources. Youth sleeping fewer than 8 hours faced a 1.80-fold higher likelihood of emotional or behavioral challenges compared with those meeting sleep recommendations (95% CI, 1.33-2.44; p < 0.05). Academic pressure emerged as the leading self-reported factor of sleep restriction, as our study revealed. Most Bay Area youth are not getting the sleep they need, even though they recognize its importance. However, limited awareness of resources reveals a critical gap. Findings highlight the need for community- and school-based sleep initiatives.