Does Sleep Help You Grow Taller? What Research Shows
Does sleep help you grow taller? See what deep sleep and growth hormone do, how many hours kids and teens need, and which habits help.
Quick answer
Does sleep help you grow taller? Sleep supports normal growth, but no study we found shows that extra sleep makes a healthy child taller than their genes allow. A 2024 review says growth hormone release mostly happens during deep sleep. The same review calls the research on growth hormone and sleep in children limited.
About 80 percent of height comes from inherited DNA, according to MedlinePlus. Regular short sleep is still worth fixing, because it is linked to attention, behavior and learning problems, says the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. For food and supplements, see our guides to growth gummies for kids and vitamins for kids.
What happens to growth hormone during sleep
Growth hormone is one of the body signals that supports growth in childhood. Many people have heard that it is released at night. There is some truth in that.
A 2024 review in Frontiers in Endocrinology says growth hormone release predominantly happens during deep sleep. Deep sleep is also called slow wave sleep.
Now the catch. The same review found only nine studies on growth hormone and sleep in children, most of them in kids with growth hormone deficiency. It describes the data as limited, old or poor quality, and inconsistent. So deep sleep and growth hormone are linked, but the evidence in children is thinner than most web pages suggest.
A small trial adds more doubt. Researchers cut deep sleep by about 40 percent for one night in 14 healthy children aged 11.3 to 14.1. Growth hormone pulses did not change in size, number or baseline level. The authors wrote that deep sleep may not be a direct stimulus of growth hormone. The sample was small and it covered only one night, so it cannot settle the question either way.
For the full picture of what shapes height, read our guide on how to grow taller.
Does sleep help you grow taller? What the research shows
Researchers have looked at sleep and height in large groups of children. Here are two recent studies in plain words.
Toddlers: longer night sleep and height at age 3
The Japan Environment and Children’s Study followed 52,140 children. Toddlers who slept 11.5 hours or more at night at age 1.5 had 1.25 times the odds of being tall at age 3 (in the top quarter for height in the study), compared with toddlers who slept 9 hours or less. The 95 percent confidence range was 1.14 to 1.37.
Total sleep, with naps included, was not linked to height. Only night sleep was. This study covers toddlers only.
Deep sleep and short stature
A cross-sectional study in Nature and Science of Sleep looked at 2,527 children who had a sleep study for suspected sleep apnea. Tests confirmed sleep apnea in 1,990 of them and ruled it out in 537. Children in the lowest quarter for deep sleep had higher odds of short stature than children with the most deep sleep. Short stature here meant the shortest quarter of children in the study. In children without sleep apnea the odds were 4.85 times higher (95 percent range 2.4 to 9.4). In children with sleep apnea they were 2.15 times higher (1.5 to 3.0).
| Study | Who | What it found | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Environment and Children’s Study | 52,140 toddlers | 11.5 or more hours of night sleep at 1.5 years went with higher odds of tall stature at 3 years. Total sleep did not. | Observational, toddlers only |
| Nature and Science of Sleep | 2,527 children tested for suspected sleep apnea | Lowest deep sleep quarter had higher odds of being in the shortest quarter. | Cross-sectional, cannot show cause |
| Deep sleep trial | 14 healthy children, ages 11.3 to 14.1 | About 40 percent less deep sleep for one night did not change growth hormone pulses. | Small, one night only |
What these studies cannot prove
Both big studies watched children. They did not change anyone’s sleep and then measure height. That means they show a link, not a cause. A health problem can also affect both sleep and growth. The authors of the deep sleep study note that sleep apnea itself might affect children’s height.
Genes also matter far more. MedlinePlus says scientists estimate that about 80 percent of height is determined by DNA variations, with a smaller part coming from the environment, such as nutrition. If you are weighing a growth gummy, see our pick below. Our guide to vitamins for kids covers what food and supplements can and cannot do.
How much sleep kids and teens need
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine set these ranges for a full 24 hours. The CDC lists the same numbers.
| Age | Hours of sleep per 24 hours |
|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 10 to 13 (naps count) |
| 6 to 12 years | 9 to 12 |
| 13 to 18 years | 8 to 10 |
These are ranges for health, not a height formula. The AASM statement says that regularly sleeping fewer hours than recommended is associated with attention, behavior and learning problems. That alone is a good reason to protect sleep.
Do teens need more sleep to grow?
The AASM range for teens, 8 to 10 hours, is a little lower than for school age children. But the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses that teens require more sleep, not less. It says teen sleep-wake cycles begin to shift up to two hours later at the start of puberty.
At the same time, the AAP notes, most high schools require students to get to school earlier and earlier. It backs start times of 8:30 a.m. or later so teens can get the sleep they need. Read more about this stage in our guide to the growth spurt.
Sleep habits that help
None of these is a height trick. They help a child get the sleep they need.
Keep the same wake time
The AAP advises the same waking time on weekdays and weekends. The CDC also advises going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.
Keep screens out of the bedroom
The AAP recommends keeping TVs, computers, tablets and phones out of children’s bedrooms, and turning off all screens at least 60 minutes before bedtime. The CDC says at least 30 minutes. We use the AAP number because it is the longer window.
Make the room quiet and cool
The CDC suggests a bedroom that is quiet, relaxing and at a cool temperature.
Do the same short routine each night
The AAP says regular mealtimes, nap times and play times help a child feel secure. It also says all children thrive on a regular bedtime routine, and that it helps to take time to wind down.
When to talk to a pediatrician
Call your pediatrician if your child snores, breathes through the mouth at night, or seems to stop breathing for a moment. The NHLBI lists snoring, breathing that starts and stops, and mouth breathing as nighttime signs of sleep apnea in children. The AAP lists trouble falling asleep and waking at night among the most common sleep problems in children, and says to discuss sleep problems with your pediatrician.
Growth is judged over time. The AAP says tracking growth over time is key, and that growth that seems to be slowing, or a drop to lower percentile lines on the growth chart, is a reason to talk to your pediatrician.
Some parents ask about sleep aids. Our sleep gummies guide is general information. A pediatrician should decide first whether a child needs any sleep aid. Do not use sleep products to try to add height.
Our pick for a growth gummy: Tallori
Food comes first, and many kids who eat well do not need a supplement at all. If you and your pediatrician decide a gummy makes sense, our top pick is Tallori 7-in-1 Growth Gummies. Here is why.
- 0 g sugar per serving. It is sweetened with monk fruit and xylitol.
- All 7 nutrient doses are printed on the label: vitamin C 25 mg, vitamin D3 25 mcg (1,000 IU), vitamin K2 (MK-7) 100 mcg, calcium 300 mg, magnesium 50 mg, zinc 6 mg and omega-3 DHA from algae oil 50 mg.
- Made for ages 5 to 18. The serving is 2 gummies a day, and one pouch lasts a month.
- Pectin based, so there is no gelatin.
- A 60 day money back satisfaction guarantee.
What to know before you buy: it also has a 112.4 mg plant and amino acid blend (ashwagandha, spirulina, L-arginine, L-glutamine, astragalus, L-carnitine, spinach and turmeric) that does not list a dose for each ingredient. Like every supplement, it does not make a child taller, and it is not a treatment for any condition. If your child already takes a multivitamin or vitamin D, check the totals with your pediatrician.
Label facts come from Tallori’s Supplement Facts panel. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
FAQ
Does sleeping make you taller at 14?
Sleep supports normal growth, but no study we found shows that extra sleep adds height beyond what your genes allow. At 14, aim for 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours, the range the AASM sets for ages 13 to 18.
How much sleep do I need to grow taller at 16?
The recommended range at 16 is 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours. That range is for health. It is not a promise of extra height.
If I sleep 10 hours a day will I grow taller?
Ten hours is inside the healthy range for school age children and teens. But no study we found shows that sleeping more than you need makes a healthy child taller than their genes allow.
What time should kids go to bed to grow?
There is no proven best bedtime for height. Pick a bedtime that fits the hours your child needs, and keep it steady. For example, a school age child who wakes at 7 a.m. needs to be asleep between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to get 9 to 12 hours.
Does lack of sleep stunt growth?
We found no study showing that a few short nights stunt growth. In the small trial above, one night of much less deep sleep did not change growth hormone pulses. Links between less deep sleep and shorter height come from studies that cannot show cause. Sleep apnea is different: the NHLBI says untreated sleep apnea may raise the risk of impaired growth. If your child’s growth seems to slow, see your pediatrician.
Sources
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations (consensus statement)
- CDC: About sleep
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Healthy sleep habits, how many hours does your child need
- Frontiers in Endocrinology (2024): review of sleep and growth hormone secretion
- Acute sleep disruption and growth hormone secretion in healthy children (trial)
- Japan Environment and Children’s Study, JCEM (2024): sleep and tall stature at age 3
- Nature and Science of Sleep: deep sleep and short stature in children
- MedlinePlus Genetics: Is height determined by genetics?
- NHLBI (NIH): Sleep apnea in children
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: When a child is unusually short
This page is general information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before you start a supplement for your child. Medical disclaimer
