Adequate Sleep May Ward Off Teen Depression
Teens whose parents required them to go to bed by 10 PM or earlier were less likely to be depressed or have suicidal thoughts, according to a new study presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies annual meeting on June 9, 2009 in Seattle.
The study used data from more 15,000 teens who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
The researchers found that of these teens, 1,143 were depressed and 2,038 had suicidal thoughts.
When study author James Gangwisch, a professor at Columbia University Medical Center, and his team looked at the relationship between bedtime, depression and suicidal thoughts, they found a clear association. Teens with a bedtime of 10:00 PM or earlier were 25% less likely to be depressed and 20% less likely to have suicidal thoughts, compared with teens who went to bed at midnight or later.
"This study bolsters the argument that a lack of sleep can cause depression," said Gangwisch. "Teens with earlier parental-mandated bedtimes were less likely to suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts." It should be noted, however, that the relationship may also work in the other direction. Teens who are depressed may also have difficulty getting to sleep.
Clearly getting enough sleep is an important factor in teen mental health, no matter which direction the association works. Parents would be wise to pay attention to their child's sleep patterns and look for signs of depression if their child routinely has difficulty sleeping.
Comments
Interesting!! I was put to bed my whole childhood to be able to have 10 hours sleep a night and i suffered/still suffer from depression! Maybe too much sleep could be a factor of this outcome? Any ideas?!! Maybe its just bad luck!!