Is inadequate sleep causing harm among teens?

Sleep problems may fuel impulsiveness, aggravate coping with anxiety, and increase negative thinking

Is inadequate sleep causing harm among teens?
Is inadequate sleep causing harm among teens?

A recent study revealed that teenagers with irregular sleep patterns are more likely to harm themselves on purpose.

According to a report in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, shorter sleep, sleeping later or frequent walking during the night were all linked to a 14-year-old’s risk of self-harm.

Researchers noted that rates of self-harm among teens are exponentially rising, as many as 70% of teenagers get poor sleep.

For the study, researchers assessed data from more than 10,000 14-year-olds participating in a long-term health study of UK residents born between 2000-2002.

Participants provided details on their usual sleep, and also were asked if they’d engaged in self-injury or self-mutilation.

Lead researcher and a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University of Warwick in the UK, Michaela Pawley, stated:

“We discovered that shorter sleep on school days, longer time to fall asleep, and more frequent night awakenings at age 14 are associated with self-harm concurrently and three years later at age 17.”

Researchers discovered that inadequate sleep raises teens’ risk of self-harm, even after accounting for depression and other factors.

Sleep problems may fuel impulsiveness, aggravate coping with anxiety, and increase negative thinking, cognitive-behavioral therapy, may aid in early prevention and minimise self-harm risk.

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