"Poor sleep 'early warning sign' for drink and drug issues"
By: Smitha Mundasad
Source: BBC
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-30846703
Most teenagers do not think about the amount of sleep they are receiving each night because they are too busy with their social life, school and their extra curricular activities. Little do they know, that sleep plays an enormous role in everything they decide to do. Little sleep in early teenage years could be a potential warning sign for alcohol problems, illegal drug use and possible "regretful" sexual behavior. US scientists discovered that adolescents with a weak sleep pattern are more likely to push themselves into dangerous situations than adolescents who can easily "doze off". Parents should definitely be keeping an eye on their child's sleep pattern because it has a lot to do with their daily judgement on certain situations. Scientists analyzed data from over 6,500 adolescents in the United States. They kept track of their sleep patterns, and alcohol and drug use through a large nationwide survey between 1994 and 2002. The ones who could not get a good night's sleep were most likely to have alcohol and drug problems at the time. Researchers also wanted to see if this would affect their life later on. Teenagers who had a tough time going to bed at least once a week had a higher percentage of binge drinking, taking illegal drugs and engaging in sexual behavior that they later would regret. Even one extra hour of sleep would decrease the need to binge drink. "Most of the time we do not think sleep is important. But our results show sleep is a good marker of some serious later problems" (Prof Maria Wong, 1). Professor Maria Wong mentioned that parents should be more involved with their child's sleep schedule, considering the fact that sleep has a lot to do with how their day goes.
As a teenager, one realizes that sleep is much more important than previously thought. Sleep plays a huge role in everyone's life, so it is necessary we get enough of it.
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