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According to a new study by researchers at the University of San Diego and Harvard University, teens who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to use illegal drugs.

For the study, the researchers tracked the drug use and sleep patterns of more than 8,000 teens. They found that social networks significantly influenced both sleep patterns and drug use among study participants. For example, teens with a friend who sleeps less than seven hours per night are 11 percent more likely to sleep less than seven hours per night. In addition, teens with a friend who sleeps less than seven hours per night are 19 percent more likely to use marijuana.

Researchers found that teens with a friend who uses marijuana are almost twice as likely to use marijuana themselves. Study results also indicated that lack of sleep might be linked to increased alcohol use by teens.

The study authors commented: "Adolescents are embedded in complex social networks and are especially vulnerable to peer effects -- possibly not only with respect to drugs, but also with respect to sleep."

(Source: news.yahoo.com)

Labels: teen drug use, sleep

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A recent study by Drexel University's College of Nursing Health and Professions has found that many teens who consume caffeine stay up late at night surfing the Web, text messaging and gaming, and dozing off during the day. Researchers asked 100 middle and high school students aged 12 to 18 to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire asked about nighttime consumption of caffeinated beverages, use of technology and sleep patterns.

Researchers found that only 20 percent of survey respondents got the recommended eight or more hours of sleep on school nights. Approximately 30 percent of teens reported falling asleep during school, and researchers determined that caffeine consumption tended to be 76 percent higher among those students who reported falling asleep.

Lead study author Dr. Christina Calamaro, assistant professor in Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions, commented on the study's findings: Many adolescents used multiple forms of technology late into the night and concurrently consumed caffeinated beverages. ... Their ability to stay alert and fully functional throughout the day was impaired by excessive daytime sleepiness."

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: sleep, caffeine

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

People who have trouble sleeping, even teenagers, may turn to alcohol for help. And, while alcohol can help a person fall asleep, it causes other sleep problems.

Alcohol is known to interfere with the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, thus causing the sleeper to feel even less rested after awakening. ...

[Sara] Pieters and her team of researchers found that there was an association between earlier use of alcohol among the teens who tended to stay up later and who had problems such as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and who also perceived themselves as more tired.[Source: PsychCentral]

Though Pieters’ research showed a connection between sleep problems and alcohol, it wasn’t able to determine the causal relationship – whether sleep problems lead to alcohol use or alcohol use causes sleep problems.

 

 

Labels: alcohol abuse, sleep, teen

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments