Teenagers need more sleep than other age groups; nine hours is recommended. But many only get seven or even fewer hours of sleep each night. A recent study found that adolescents whose parents set an early bedtime for them had fewer bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts than those whose parents set a later bedtime. Most adolescents in the study complied with set bedtimes, getting to bed an average of five minutes later.
The researchers in this study say there are several ways sleep deprivation can lead to depression. Link -via reddit
(image credit: Flickr user Carlos 57)
Results show that adolescents with parental set bedtimes of midnight or later were 24 percent more likely to suffer from depression (odds ratio = 1.24) and 20 percent more likely to have suicidal ideation (OR=1.20) than adolescents with parental set bedtimes of 10 p.m. or earlier. This association was appreciably attenuated by self-reported sleep duration and the perception of getting enough sleep. Adolescents who reported that they usually sleep for five or fewer hours per night were 71 percent more likely to suffer from depression (OR=1.71) and 48 percent more likely to think about committing suicide (OR=1.48) than those who reported getting eight hours of nightly sleep. Participants who reported that they "usually get enough sleep" were significantly less likely to suffer from depression (OR=0.35) and suicidal ideation (OR=0.71).
The researchers in this study say there are several ways sleep deprivation can lead to depression. Link -via reddit
(image credit: Flickr user Carlos 57)
I'd have 5am track/x-country practice before school, then more running practice after school, and it wasn't unusual for me to stay up 'till 4am on weeknights.
I guess I just took a bunch of naps. I was never depressed, thankfully!
Lights out for my 11- and 12-year-olds is 9:30 on school nights. They hate it, but they need it. The 16-year-old can stay up until 11, but he's usually asleep before then. And he takes naps, too.
@zook: nothing kills creativity faster than homework. I was so much more productive in the US education system rather than an Asian one, which emphasized rote memorization above everything else.
+ 5h = 5 AM just doesn't work out for me? I mean, hello? When does school start? At 6 AM? O.o
This might be statistically accurate, but mathematically it's nonsense...
And Asia leads the world in suicide... so you are saying... ?
Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate
and you'll see that's not exactly true. Rates in China, for example, are comparable to Canada. Many Euro countries are much higher than many Asian countries. And look at India....same kind of "Asian" education system, rates comparable to or lower than US.
Our twelve year old is in bed 10.30 on school nights, but he's free to read until he drops off.
I guess it's better not to fight our body.
I was lucky enough to have 12 to 6 classes last semester, college can be great that way. High school would have definitely been much more productive for me with those sorts of hours.