Lack of Sleep Disrupts Key Brain Functions in Adolescents

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by the University of Georgia.

Teen’s sleeping habits may affect how their brain functions, according to new research from the University of Georgia. And lack of quality sleep may put kids at risk of developing problem behaviors in the future.

The study found that adolescents who got less sleep had less connectivity between the parts of the brain that play a critical role in decision making, self-reflection and processing information. Malfunctions in these parts of the brain are also linked to mental illnesses such as depression, ADHD and schizophrenia.

The children with less brain connectivity in this region were more likely to exhibit behavioral issues like acting out, poor impulse control and aggressiveness.

“Sleep isn’t just good for children. It helps keep their mental health intact and helps them regulate their emotions,” said Assaf Oshri, corresponding author of the study and a professor in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Oshri also serves as director of the UGA Georgia Center for Developmental Science.

“The paper shows that sleep duration and sleep efficiency are linked to distinct patterns of brain network connectivity that are predictive of problem behaviors.”

The study suggests that interventions targeted at increasing adolescents’ sleep could help prevent conduct problems in the future.

The present study followed more than 2,800 adolescents, using Fitbits to objectively track how well and for how long the children slept for an average of two weeks. The researchers compared that data with the same children’s MRIs. The imaging identified distinct patterns in connectivity between brain regions.

Source: University of Georgia
https://news.uga.edu/sleep-affects-kids-brains/