CBS News Boston

Adolescents with a later sleep schedule pose risks for other health issues

By Mallika Marshall, MD

June 6, 2024 / 5:46 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON -- A new study shows that adolescents with later sleep schedules puts them more at risk for other health issues.

Researchers at Penn State looked at the sleep habits of 377 adolescents and found that those with a later sleep schedule consumed more carbohydrates and were more likely to be sedentary, even if they met their recommended sleep totals.

They say going to sleep late can disrupt a child's circadian rhythm or normal day-night cycle, interfere with their social schedules and other responsibilities, and lead to inadequate diet and reduced physical activity, putting them at risk for obesity and poor cardiometabolic health.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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