Sleep Disorders in Adolescents and Their Impact on Mental Health: A Literature Review

Abstract

Adolescent development is a critical period marked by intensive neurobiological maturation, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and limbic system. Concurrently, sleep architecture undergoes physiological changes, making sleep quality inherently fragile and increasing vulnerability to chronic sleep deprivation. This narrative literature review aims to comprehensively examine adolescent brain maturation, sleep characteristics, the bidirectional relationship between sleep disruption and psychiatric disorders, as well as therapeutic interventions. Based on a review of literature published between 2016 and 2026 retrieved from databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, sleep deprivation and irregular sleep patterns (social jetlag) are significantly associated with structural brain alterations. These include reduced grey matter volume in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, along with disrupted fronto-limbic functional connectivity. Such neurostructural changes impair emotional regulation, executive function, and impulse control. Clinically, sleep disturbances-particularly insomnia-act as bidirectional risk factors and transdiagnostic markers for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and heightened suicidality in adolescents. Non-pharmacological interventions, specifically Cognitive BehavioralTherapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), demonstrate high efficacy in restoring sleep continuity while simultaneously mitigating psychiatric symptoms. In conclusion, sleep is a clinically relevant marker of adolescent well-being and a modifiable target for early interventionand prevention of adolescent mental health disorders.