Researchers have long speculated about why adolescents tend to have irregular sleeping habits. Now, a new study featured on TIME reveals a fairly simple reason why.
Analyzing data on 1,000 teens between the ages 12 and 15 from a previous study, a group of researchers from the University of Cincinnati found that how teens interacted with their family and friends played a large role in getting them to go to bed on time.
Participants whose parents encouraged them to get ample sleep and whose friends were positive and academically adept were more likely to get the right amount of Zzz’s daily.
“When adolescents have trouble sleeping, doctors often recommend prescription drugs to address the problem,” says lead study author David J. Maume. “My research indicates that it’s necessary to look beyond biology when seeking to understand and treat adolescents’ sleep problems. Such an approach may lead to more counseling or greater parental involvement in teens’ lives.”
In order for your teen to get enough sleep, you may also want to try to lead by example. Be positive and motivate them to live healthy by getting to bed early.
(Photo by stacey.d via Flickr Creative Commons)
