Abstract
Adolescence is accompanied by profound changes in sleep-shaped by an interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. Despite increased emphasis on socio-ecological models of sleep health, little is known about the representation of adolescent sleep in the media. This study explored how New Zealand's online news describes sleep during adolescence to inform health promotion messaging on sleep changes during adolescence.
Texts from New Zealand's main free online news source "Stuff.co.nz" were collected using keywords related to sleep and adolescence between December 2020 and 2023. Thirty-six articles met inclusion criteria. Discourse analysis was used to understand how sleep during adolescence was described and the roles it offered adolescents and their parents.
Two discourses were identified in the online news media: sleep changes as "just a phase" and sleep disruption as "a serious risk." Physiological and social changes at puberty were understood to drive changes in sleep and were linked to normative development of autonomy. Sleep disruption was also described as risky through links with mental health issues. Responsibility for monitoring sleep was assigned to parents, which was challenging given sleep changes were described as both developmentally normal and as concerning.
Changing sleep patterns during adolescence were presented as both developmentally expected and as having serious consequences. Parents were instructed to overlook sleep changes and to monitor and intervene to optimize adolescent sleep health. Online media provide audiences with contradictory messages, often bolstered by expert opinions, which situates parents as responsible for enacting expert advice on sleep management.