Kids' health at risk due to lack of sleep, study reveals: 'Vital role'

A restful night's sleep can lead to numerous advantages, such as a healthier future for children.

A study from Penn State University examined the connection between childhood sleep habits and future substance abuse.

Adolescents who slept fewer hours during their childhood were more likely to have consumed alcohol or marijuana by the age of 15, according to a study by researchers at the university.

The research in the journal Annals of Epidemiology examined sleep patterns and bedtimes of 1,514 children from 20 American cities, with a focus on different developmental stages.

The study on the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing recorded the bedtimes and sleep duration of children at ages 3, 5, and 9, by parents involved in the study.

If teens had a later bedtime at age 9, they were 45% more likely to try alcohol by age 15.

At age 5, there was no link between bedtime and future alcohol use, nor was sleep duration a factor.

A later bedtime at age 5 was linked to a 26% higher chance of using marijuana by age 15.

A 19% increased chance of trying marijuana during adolescence was linked to sleeping an hour less at age 9.

Those who reported a later bedtime had a higher chance of drinking alcohol and trying marijuana, according to a study involving 15-year-olds.

"By ensuring that children get adequate and high-quality sleep, we may protect long-term health and encourage positive health behaviors later in life."

Those who slept for one less hour had a 28% higher chance of consuming alcohol, but there was no link with marijuana use.

David A. Reichenberger, PhD, a researcher in the Department of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State, stated in a study that the participants were selected based on having complete data to assess the effects of the study over time within the same group of children.

The researcher emphasized that ensuring children receive sufficient and high-quality sleep is crucial for safeguarding long-term health and fostering positive health habits in the future.

Dr. Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioral and social scientist at RAND Corporation in Park City, Utah, discussed with Planet Chronicle Digital how the study supports the growing body of evidence linking sleep problems to "risky health behaviors" in the future.

The research conducted with my RAND colleagues shows that poor sleep health in adolescence predicts an increase in alcohol and marijuana use in early adulthood.

"During adolescence, substance use is more likely to occur if sleep problems were present earlier in life."

She stated that addressing sleep problems in childhood and adolescence requires multi-level strategies, including family-based programs and public policies such as later school start times, to promote sleep health.