Lack Of Sleep Increases The Risk Of Depression In Adolescents

Around 2.4 million people in Spain suffer from depression. The causes are attributed to psychosocial aspects, such as chronic stress or traumatic experiences, but fatigue and lack of sleep, already during childhood and absence, can favor the disorder, according to researchers from the University of Reading (England).

Lack of sleep in adolescence can lead to depression and anxiety disorders

Scientists wanted to know how sleep disorders and mental illness influence each other. To do this , 15-year-olds were asked to complete a questionnaire about their sleep habits. The teens were then screened for depression and anxiety disorders. The study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, was repeated several times in adolescence and early adulthood and involved about 5,000 young people.

The findings indicate that, on the one hand, depressed adolescents sleep worse than their healthy peers, which is why sleep disorders are a symptom of depression.

However, the study also shows that people suffering from depression and anxiety disorders mostly had poor sleep in their youth.

30 more minutes of sleep already makes a difference

Adults who suffered from depression in their younger years slept worse and for less time compared to their healthy peers. The time difference is around 30 minutes a day.

The control group slept an average of 8 hours on school days and a little over 9 1/2 hours on weekends . Depressed teens, on the other hand, slept less than seven and a half hours during the week and just over 9 hours on the weekend. They also generally went to bed later than the control group.

In adolescents with anxiety disorders, the duration of sleep did not differ significantly from that of their healthy peers, however the quality of their sleep was poorer than that of participants without disorders.

The scientists also looked at whether the teens’ sleeping habits could predict depression and anxiety disorders later on.

In fact, this was the case, as teens who slept less during the week at the age of 15 than their peers were more likely to suffer from depression or anxiety disorder at the ages of 17 and 24.

According to this study, people who are often sleepy during the day or have the feeling that they simply cannot get enough sleep are at higher risk of becoming depressed or developing an anxiety disorder.

Poor sleep increases the risk of depression and anxiety disorders

Research results show that it is important to act against sleep disorders in adolescence, regardless of whether mental illnesses are already present or not.

Addressing sleep disorders at an early age can provide long-term mental health benefits and possibly prevent depression and anxiety disorders later in life.

Tips for a healthy sleep

Sleep disorders during puberty often have psychological causes such as stress, worry, or test anxiety. This is where you should start to act . Talk to your children and try to solve the problems together with them.

Devices such as mobiles, computers, and televisions in the bedroom can also cause sleep disturbances, as they are more likely to overstimulate teens. It is best to turn off these devices an hour before bedtime. On the other hand, reading, listening to relaxing music and other quiet activities can gradually prepare you for sleep.

A healthy diet can also improve the quality of your sleep. Consuming little fiber, too much saturated fat and excess sugar have a clearly negative effect on the quality of sleep

Scientific references:

• Orchard et al. Self-reported sleep patterns and quality amongst adolescents: cross-sectional and prospective associations with anxiety and depression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.