A recent study carried out by the Youth Development Institute at the University of Georgia revealed that sufficient sleep played in helping children mitigate the effects of stressful environments.
Linhao Zhang, the lead author and a fourth-year doctoral student in UGA's College of Family and Consumer Sciences, explained, "Stressful environments have been shown to incline adolescents towards seeking immediate rewards over delayed ones. However, we observed that some adolescents in such environments displayed less impulsive behaviour. Our investigation aimed to unravel the factors behind this divergence, and one key factor we identified was sleep."
The researchers analysed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a comprehensive research initiative into brain development funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study encompassed a vast dataset of 11,858 children between the ages of 9 and 10. It examined the correlation between sleep patterns, particularly the time taken to fall asleep (sleep latency), and impulsive behaviours over a two-year period.
The findings revealed a strong correlation between inadequate sleep (less than the recommended nine hours) and extended sleep latency (taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep) with impulsive behaviours that emerged later on. These impulsive behaviours included actions without a plan, a tendency to seek thrill or sensation, and a lack of perseverance.
Interestingly, sleep acted as a mediating factor in this context. When sleep-related problems were absent during the study, impulsive behaviour was less likely to manifest in the future.
"A lot of adolescents don't have enough time to sleep, and they are sleep deprived," Zhang noted. "This study underscores the importance of promoting longer sleep duration by adjusting school start times or establishing routines that signal bedtime after specific events."
Regardless of the environment, establishing healthy sleep patterns can yield positive outcomes and reduce the time taken to fall asleep. Developing such routines early is crucial, Zhang emphasised, particularly for children facing disadvantaged circumstances. "For those in challenging environments, if we can offer strategies to improve sleep, it can have a positive impact, especially considering that adolescence is a critical developmental stage for their brains," Zhang concluded.