Sleep linked to students' moods

New York Times

Monday, February 23, 2004

A new study that tracked 2,259 students as they moved through middle school found strong links between sleep patterns and moods.

Students who got less sleep were more likely to report signs of depression and a negative self-image, according to the study, which was published in the journal Child Development.

The study also found that as sleep patterns changed, so did emotional states: Students who got more sleep reported improvements, while students who got less were more likely to report problems. Students who got less sleep in sixth grade had worse grades that year, but changes in sleep patterns did not appear to have an effect on performance in seventh and eighth grade.

Earlier research had shown that adolescents needed about nine hours a night -- more than adults or younger children.

On average, the students' total time spent sleeping fell in the three years, but the pattern was more pronounced among girls. The girls' average in eighth grade was seven hours 17 minutes, one minute less than the boys' average and down from eight hours in sixth grade. In sixth grade, boys averaged 46 minutes less than girls.

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Last updated: 03/23/2004 - 08:49 AM