Sleep is crucial for a child’s overall health and can also impact their behavior. A study from the University of Georgia’s Youth Development Institute reveals that sufficient sleep helps children manage the effects of stressful environments.
“Stressful environments often drive adolescents to seek immediate rewards over delayed ones; however, some adolescents in such environments do not exhibit impulsive behavior”, said lead author Linhao Zhang, a fourth-year doctoral student in UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences.”We investigated what explains this connection and why some individuals differ from others. One factor we identified is sleep.”
Sleep issues including sleep latency and impulsive behavior were checked at various intervals over the course of two years. When children slept for less than the recommended nine hours of sleep or took more than thirty minutes to fall asleep, there was a strong correlation with impulsive behavior later down the line. Some such behaviors included acting without forethought, lacking perseverance, and seeking thrills and sensations.
Sleep served as a mediator in these behaviors, with reduced impulsivity observed when sleep problems were not present during the study. Zhang also noted that neurological hyperconnectivity, where adolescents’ brains remain highly active even during rest, contributed to the issue.
This study focused on the default mode network, a brain network associated with goal-directed behavior.
Zhang stated that insufficient sleep can be problematic even outside of stressful environments.
For instance, teenagers often have a natural circadian rhythm that inclines them to stay up later and sleep in, but early school start times and late-night homework can disrupt this rhythm.
“A lot of adolescents don’t have enough time to sleep, and they are sleep deprived”, Zhang said. “This study highlights the importance of encouraging longer sleep duration by delaying school start times or setting routines so that adolescents have clear markers, like ‘OK’ after this event, I am going to bed.'”
Creating these routines, regardless of the environment, can foster healthier sleep patterns and shorten the time needed to sleep.
(ANI)
