Study reveals how more sleep can reduce impulsive behavior in children

Sleep is a vital aspect of a childs general health but it can also influence their behaviourAccording to a new study from the University of Georgias Youth Development Institute obtaining adequate sleep can help children cope with the consequences of stressful surroundingsAcirc Stressful environments are shown to make adolescents seek immediate rewards rather than delayed rewards but there are also adolescents who are in stressful environments who are not impulsive said lead author Linhao Zhang a fourthyear doctoral student in UGAsAcirc College of Family and Consumer Sciences We looked at what explains that link and what makes some people differ from others One mechanism we found is sleepResearchers examined data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study which included 11858 children aged 9 to 10 and discovered that a lack of sleep and a long sleep latencythe amount of time it takes to fall asleephad a substantial link to impulsive behaviours later in lifeSleep problems such as sleep latency the time it takes an individual to fall asleep and impulsive behaviors were checked at multiple time points over the course of two years When children got less than the recommended nine hours of sleep or took more than 30 minutes to get to sleep there was a strong link to impulsive behaviors later down the line Some of these behaviors included acting without a plan seeking thrills or sensations and lacking perseveranceSleep was a mediator between these actions however and when sleep problems were absent during the study impulsivity was also less likely to be observed in the futureNeurological hyperconnectivity wherein the adolescents brains remained very active even when they were not actively engaged in tasks also played a role Zhang said This study looked at the default mode network a brain network related to goaldirected behaviors When this network was hyperactive during restingstate it could exacerbate the link between stressful environments sleep and impulsivity This connection could be linked to ADHD which Zhang would like to explore in future studiesWe can look at the default mode network and emotional regulation regions Zhang said Its also possible that this hyperactivity and ADHD are highly correlated so in a future study we could test that in a more clinical setting That could have great implications on intervention or counseling programsThese findings not only highlight sleeps role in cognitive and behavioral development but could also inform lowcost interventions to aid in the psychological development of children facing athome stressors Zhang saidIf you want to develop interventions for people in stressful environments its very costly and sometimes it needs generational work to change Zhang said Sleep is a modifiable behavior however and these changes can be costefficientZhang said that too little sleep can be an issue even outside stressful environments For example teenagers often have a circadian rhythm that is geared toward staying up later and sleeping in but early school start times and late nights completing homework can throw off that rhythmA lot of adolescents dont have enough time to sleep and they are sleep deprived Zhang said This study shows why it is important to promote longer sleep duration by delaying school start times or establishing routines so that adolescents know OK after this event Im going to bedEstablishing these routines no matter the environment can create healthier patterns and reduce the time it takes to get to sleep Its also vital to act early when developing sleep habits Zhang saidFor people who may be in disadvantaged environments if we can provide some strategies that help sleep it can have a positive impact especially for adolescents that are at such a critical developmental stage for their brain developmentThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever