Sleep and recovery for young athletes: a guide for Maui families

Published 2026-11-04

How much sleep keiki and teen athletes really need, what the research says about sleep and sports injuries, and simple ways to protect bedtime during a busy season.

General information, not medical advice. If your child has ongoing trouble sleeping, snores loudly or seems tired all the time, talk with their pediatrician.

Between practice after school, games under the lights, homework and a long ride home from the other side of the island, sleep is often the first thing young athletes give up. But sleep is when the body recovers and the brain resets. Here’s what pediatric and sleep experts say, and how Maui families can make room for it.

How much sleep do they need?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends, on a regular basis and counting total sleep in 24 hours:

• Ages 6 to 12: 9 to 12 hours
• Ages 13 to 18: 8 to 10 hours

Those recommendations are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. For a teen who has to be up at 6 a.m. for school, eight hours means being asleep by 10 p.m., and that can be hard after a late game.

Why teens struggle to fall asleep early

It isn’t just habit. The AAP explains that sleep-wake cycles start shifting up to two hours later at the start of puberty, right when school days start earlier. That’s why the AAP has pushed for middle and high schools to start class at 8:30 a.m. or later. A CDC study of the 2011–12 school year found that no public middle or high schools in Hawaiʻi started that late at the time, so early mornings are a long-standing reality for many island keiki.

Sleep and sports injuries

A 2014 study of 112 middle and high school athletes in grades 7 to 12 found that those who slept less than eight hours a night on average were 1.7 times more likely to have had an injury than those who slept eight hours or more. It was one school and the study shows a link, not proof that short sleep causes injuries. Still, the researchers concluded that encouraging young athletes to get enough sleep may help protect them.

The AAP also notes that regular lack of sleep can lead to irritability, trouble concentrating, headaches and low mood, while kids who sleep enough tend to have healthier immune systems and do better with school, behavior, memory and mental health. All of that shows up on the court and the field, too.

Simple ways to protect sleep during the season

These tips come from the AAP’s healthy sleep habits guide:

• Keep a steady schedule. Aim for about the same wake-up time on school days and weekends.
• Screens off an hour before bed. The AAP recommends turning off all screens at least an hour before bedtime and keeping TVs, tablets and phones out of the bedroom at night. Charging the phone in the kitchen helps.
• Make the bedroom sleep-friendly. Dim the lights before bed and keep the room at a comfortable temperature, which matters on warm Maui nights.
• Watch the calendar. Practices, games, lessons and homework can stack up. Build in downtime so keiki can wind down.
• Get outside and get bright light in the morning. Daytime activity and morning light help the body’s clock.
• Be the example. Making sleep a family priority shows kids it’s part of being healthy, just like eating well and training hard.

When to check with the doctor

The AAP lists common sleep problems to watch for, including trouble falling asleep, waking up often at night, snoring, loud or heavy breathing while sleeping, and sleep apnea. If a teacher mentions your child is “zoning out” or falling asleep in class, that’s worth a conversation with your pediatrician. Most sleep problems are very treatable.

The bottom line

Rest isn’t the opposite of training. It’s part of it. A young athlete who gets enough sleep is better set up to learn, play, heal and enjoy the game.

Coaches, athletic trainers or health professionals on Maui with tips for keiki athletes and their families? Send them to us and we may feature them in a future story.

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