Earlier Bedtimes May Protect Kids From Depression
In case you missed it, new research has come out showing that teens with earlier bedtimes were less likely than those with later bedtimes to have depression or thoughts of committing suicide. The study of 7th through 12th graders found:
- Compared to kids whose parents set bedtimes of 10 pm or earlier, those with a bedtime of midnight or later were 24% more likely to suffer from depression and 20% more likely to have suicidal thoughts; and
- Teens who said they usually sleep five or fewer hours per night were a whopping 71% more likely to be depressed, and 48% more likely to have thoughts of suicide, compared to those who said they slept eight hours per night.
Going to bed earlier thus seems likely to lower depression in kids.
Why am I writing about this in a blog about stress? Stress and depression often seem to be related. As noted in the WebMD article on this study, “The researchers say lack of sleep may produce moodiness that hinders the ability to cope with stresses of daily life, harming relationships with peers and adults. They say educating adolescents and their parents about the benefits of healthier sleep practices may be beneficial.” So taking steps to lower your risk of depression may lower your stress as well.
The conclusion? If you are a stressed out teenager, go to bed earlier. The experts say you need about 9 hours of sleep. If you are a parent, set a bedtime of 10 pm or earlier for your kid. (Some good news for parents: almost 70% of the kids in the study said they actually went to bed by the time their parents told them to on weeknights.)
