The University of Birmingham looked at kids across different ages for their research
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Researchers studied sleep patterns and depression symptoms in over 15,000 children from infancy to early adulthood
- Persistent shorter sleep in early childhood doubled the risk of severe depression in adolescence for a group of children, the University of Birmingham found
- Experts say improving sleep routines in childhood could help reduce long-term mental health risks without medical intervention
Children with poor sleeping habits are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with depression as teenagers, a new study found.
The academic team from the University of Birmingham studied data from over 15,000 children, which was first collected for the Children of the 90s study, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, according to The Independent.
During the study, their sleep duration was calculated across different ages, including as babies at 6, 18, and 30 months old, then into childhood at 3.5 years old, 4 to 5, 5 to 6, and 6 to 7 years old.
The same participants were then studied for self-reported depression symptoms at 12.5, 13.5, 16, 17.5, 21, and 22 years old.
Credit: Getty
Their team found that children between 6 months and 7 years old who had “persistent” shorter sleep patterns were twice as likely to report high levels of depression between ages 13 and 22.
They noted it is the first study to show the “detrimental effect of persistent shorter nighttime sleep duration from infancy to childhood on more enduring and severe forms of depressive symptoms across adolescence and emerging adulthood."
Dr. Isabel Morales-Muñoz, the lead author of the University of Birmingham study, said: “We found that the small numbers of children who had persistently shorter sleep across childhood saw some increased risk of developing depression during adolescence. A doubling of odds might sound like a lot, but we saw that persistent sleep issues only affected a small number of children who took part in the study and that there was still only a small percentage of children who went on to experience persistent depressive symptoms."
“Sleep is also an element of childhood that is possible to improve without needing medical interventions, and efforts to address persistent poor sleep during childhood will have a host of benefits, including addressing any potential mental health risks," she added.
Dr. Rebekah Amos, the study's co-author, noted that the team's research "advances our understanding of factors that increase young people's risk for more severe and enduring depression."
The team explained that sleep can be a "modifiable factor," meaning that it can be adjusted for children.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Some of these adjustments can include parents encouraging earlier and consistent bedtimes, reducing their child's screen time before bed, having kids be physically active and creating a calm sleep environment.
“I know sometimes they are not easy, but sometimes they are easier than treatment for emotional symptoms," Dr. Morales-Muñoz said.
During their research, they also looked at the role that inflammation can play in causing poor sleep in children, which would subsequently lead to depressive symptoms in adolescence.
The study was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford Health.
They discovered that one inflammatory marker (IL-6) "may have some role," but "not the other marker (CRP), which is a cumulative buildup of chronic inflammation in the body."
“The findings suggest that chronic poor sleep may contribute to long-term mental health difficulties through biological pathways including inflammation," Amos explained. “However, improvements in sleep behaviour and bedtime routines may interrupt this effect.”
Read the full article here
