University of Georgia study blames poor sleep for impulsive behaviors in children
BOSTON - Kids who tend to be more impulsive are at higher risk of getting into trouble later in life, but researchers have found addressing sleep in childhood could make a difference.
Impulsivity in childhood has been associated with criminal behavior and substance use later in life. But a new study published in the journal Sleep Health found poor sleep could be partly to blame. Researchers at the University of Georgia looked at data on nearly 12,000 nine and ten-year-olds and found that getting less than the recommended nine hours of sleep a night or spending more than a half hour trying to get to sleep was associated with impulsive behaviors later on, such as acting out, thrill-seeking, and emotional instability.
The authors of the study said that addressing sleep problems by, for example, establishing regular bedtime routines and delaying school start times for adolescents, could be a low-cost and relatively simple way to improve the psychological development of children.