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Night owl teens risking depression

5 January 2010: Teenagers whose parents set a bedtime of midnight or later are more likely to have depression or think about suicide than those whose parents set a bedtime of before 10pm, according to new research.

 

Researchers from the US looked at responses from more than 15,000 adolescents aged between 12 and 18 and their parents, who had taken part in a national study on adolescent health. The adolescents’ parents were asked what bedtime, if any, they set for their child on week nights. The adolescents were asked how many hours of sleep they usually got every night and whether they thought they got enough sleep. They were also asked questions to determine whether they had depression or thoughts of suicide.

Just over half the parents set a bedtime of 10pm or earlier on week nights for their child, while a quarter set a bedtime of midnight or later.

The researchers found that six out of 100 teenagers who had a bedtime of 10pm or earlier suffered from depression, compared to eight out of 100 whose parents set a bedtime of midnight or later. In addition, 12 out of 100 of those with an earlier bedtime had thoughts of suicide compared to 15 out of 100 who had a later bedtime.

When taking into account other factors that could affect the likelihood of depression, such as age, gender and parents’ marital status, teenagers whose parents set a bedtime of midnight or later were a quarter more likely to suffer from depression and a fifth more likely to think about suicide than those with a 10pm or earlier bedtime.

The researchers believe that a later bedtime can cause depression and suicidal thoughts in adolescents because teenagers who are set a later bedtime generally get less sleep and are more likely to feel as if they haven’t had enough sleep. This may affect the emotional responses of the brain, reducing the teenagers’ ability to cope with everyday stresses. Lack of sleep could also affect relationships with friends and family, and have a negative effect on judgement and concentration.

Dr Sneh Khemka, medical director for Bupa International said: “Getting a good night’s sleep is important for a number of reasons. This study highlights that many teenagers aren’t getting the recommended nine hours of sleep a day. Although parents can’t force their child to go to sleep at a certain time, setting an earlier bedtime and getting teenagers into a regular bedtime routine can certainly help to ensure they get the sleep they need.”
 

Key facts

  • The amount of sleep you need varies from person to person and with age. Babies sleep for about 17 hours a day, older children need nine to 10 hours and most adults about seven to eight hours.
  • Lack of sleep can lead to increased feelings of tiredness during the day – you may fall asleep during meetings at work or classes at school. It can also cause irritability and anxiety, symptoms of depression, lack of concentration and forgetfulness.
  • Establishing a regular routine can help you sleep. Try to go to bed and get up at around the same time every day. Make sure that your bedroom is not too hot or too cold, or too noisy. Regular exercise can help, but not too late in the evening as this can disturb sleep.
  • The occasional night of not getting enough sleep is not harmful. However, if you can’t sleep on a regular basis or feel tired all the time, see your GP for advice.

 

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