- Teenagers who go to bed earlier and sleep for longer than their peers (teens about their own age) tend to have sharper mental skills and score better on cognitive (thinking and problem solving) tests, researchers have said.
- A study of more than 3,000 adolescents (teens) showed that those who turned in (went to bed) earliest, slept the longest, and had the lowest sleeping heart rates outperformed (did better than) others on reading, vocabulary, problem solving and other mental tests.
The researchers expected teenagers with healthy sleeping habits to score better than those who slept poorly, but were surprised at the impact (effect or change) that even small differences in sleep made.
“We think that it’s the sleep driving (making stronger) the better cognitive abilities, in part because we consolidate (bring together and organize) our memories during sleep,” said Barbara Sahakian, a professor of clinical neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge.
A good night’s rest has long been linked to better mental performance, but researchers are still teasing apart (trying to find out) what happens in adolescence when crucial (very important) brain development (brain growth and changes) coincides (happens at the same time) with a shift towards later bedtimes and less sleep overall.
Sahakian’s team and researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai analysed data from 3,222 young people in the adolescent brain cognitive development study, the largest long-term investigation into brain development and child health in the US. Those who took part had brain scans, cognitive tests, and tracked their sleep using Fitbits.
A patient lies in the MRI scanner while researchers look at the images from the MRI scan of the patient's brain
- Even those with the best sleeping habits got less sleep than experts recommend, the study found. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 13- to 18-year-olds should have eight to 10 hours sleep per night.
The teenagers fell into three distinct groups. The first, about 39%, went to bed the latest and woke the earliest, sleeping on average seven hours and 10 minutes a night. The second group, about 24%, slept for seven hours and 21 minutes on average. The third, about 37%, went to bed the earliest, slept the longest, and had the lowest sleeping heart rates. They slept about seven hours and 25 minutes.
While there were no meaningful differences in the educational achievements of the different groups, those in group three scored highest on cognitive tests, followed by group two, and group one scored the worst. Brain scans showed that those in group three had the largest brain volumes and best brain functions. Details are published in Cell Reports.
Sahakian said it was “surprising” that minor differences in sleep had such an impact, adding: “It suggests that small differences in sleep amounts accrue over time to make a big difference in outcomes.”
- For teenagers who want to improve their sleep and boost mental skills, Sahakian recommends regular exercise to help with sleep, and not using mobile phones or computers late in the evening.
Colin Espie, a professor of sleep medicine at the University of Oxford, who was not involved in the study, said: “One of the consequences of having highly evolved brains, that can perform complex tasks, is that as humans we are particularly dependent on sleep, not least in the developing years.
“As this research shows, falling asleep late and getting less sleep is problematic. No doubt this is exacerbated on school days when young people need to get up relatively early for school, and play catchup on the weekends – a phenomenon known as social jet lag.”
He added: “We would do well as a society to place more emphasis on sleep by, for example, incorporating more sleep health content into personal and social education at secondary school.” Oxford’s Teensleep project proposes ways to help teenagers improve their sleep health.
Gareth Gaskell, a professor of psychology at the University of York, welcomed the focus on early adolescence. “I would like to see more in the way of intervention studies during adolescence so we can find out how to help adolescents that might have suboptimal sleep patterns. Often, quite simple changes can be made to the bedtime routine, for example around screen use, to improve the timing and duration of sleep.”
More on the importance of sleep for teenagers: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/teens-and-sleep
How to Get Better Sleep
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle.
If you don't fall asleep within about 20 minutes of going to bed, leave your bedroom and do something relaxing. Read or listen to soothing music. Go back to bed when you're tired. Repeat as needed, but continue to maintain your sleep schedule and wake-up time.
2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink
Don't go to bed hungry or stuffed. In particular, avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime. Discomfort might keep you up.
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine take hours to wear off and can interfere with sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.
3. Create a restful environment
Keep your room cool, dark and quiet. Exposure to light in the evenings might make it more challenging to fall asleep. Avoid prolonged use of light-emitting screens (computers, TV, phones) just before bedtime. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.
Doing calming activities before bedtime, such as taking a bath or using relaxation techniques, might promote better sleep.
4. Limit daytime naps
Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. Limit naps to no more than one hour and avoid napping late in the day.
However, if you work nights, you might need to nap late in the day before work to help make up your sleep debt.
5. Include physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. However, avoid being active too close to bedtime.
Spending time outside every day might be helpful, too.
6. Manage worries
Try to resolve your worries or concerns before bedtime. Write down what's on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.
Stress management might help. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Meditation also can ease anxiety.
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