Noting that healthy, adequate sleep fosters longevity and the optimal use of waking hours, and that adolescents, although rarely included in previous studies of sleep, are among the most sleep-deprived populations, this book explores the genesis and development of sleep patterns during adolescence, including biological and cultural factors that influence sleep patterns, risks associated with sleep deprivation, and effects of environmental factors such as work and school schedules. The chapters are: (1) "Sleep and Adolescence: A Social Psychologist's Perspective" (Sanford M. Dornbusch); (2) "Factors Influencing Sleep Patterns of Adolescents" (Mary A. Carskadon); (3) "Endocrine Changes Associated with Puberty and Adolescence" (Gary S. Richardson and Barbara A. Tate); (4)"Maturational Changes in Sleep-Wake Timing: Longitudinal Studies of the Circadian Activity Rhythm of a Diurnal Rodent" (Barbara A. Tate, Gary S. Richardson, and Mary A. Carskadon); (5) "Nutrition and Circadian Activity Offset in Adolescent Rhesus Monkeys" (Mari S. Golub, Peter T. Takeuchi, Tana Hoban-Higgins); (6) "Toward a Comparative Developmental Ecology of Human Sleep" (Carol M. Worthman and Melissa K. Melby); (7) "Sleep Patterns of High School Students Living in Sao Paulo, Brazil" (Miriam Andrade and L. Menna-Barreto); (8) "Sleep Patterns and Daytime Function in Adolescence: An Epidemiological Survey of an Italian High School Student Sample" (Flavia Giannotti and Flavia Cortesi); (9) "Risks of Driving While Sleepy in Adolescents and Young Adults" (Mary A. Carskadon); (10) "What Can the Study of Work Scheduling Tell Us about Adolescent Sleep?" (Roger H. Rosa); (11) "Accommodating the Sleep Patterns of Adolescents within Current Educational Structures: An Uncharted Path" (Kyla L. Wahlstrom); (12) "Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice: What Will Adolescents Sleep-Wake Patterns Look Like in the 21st Century?" (Amy R. Wolfson); (13) "Influence of Irregular Sleep Patterns on Waking Behavior" (Christine Acebo and Mary A. Carskadon); (14) "Stress and Sleep in Adolescence: A Clinical-Developmental Perspective" (Avi Sadeh and Reut Gruber); (15) "The Search for Vulnerability Signatures for Depression in High-Risk Adolescents: Mechanisms and Significance" (James T. McCracken); and (16) "The Regulation of Sleep-Arousal, Affect, and Attention in Adolescence: Some Questions and Speculations" (Ronald E. Dahl). Each chapter contains references. (KB)