Teens today sleep less than prior generations, new study says
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On the cusp of a holiday weekend and the end of the school year not far off, sleep schedules are bound to change for many Minnesota kids.
A new study shows teenagers are sleeping less than any prior generation.
Rachel Widome, a professor in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and the study’s lead author, joined Morning Edition to talk about her findings and the effects of too little shut-eye on teens.
A combination of ubiquitous screens, more extracurricular activities, growing personal responsibilities and societal stressors are contributing to the sleep gap, although researchers aren’t exactly sure which of those has the greatest impact, she said.
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“I think of sleep as a resource, and when you think about children, adolescents, youth who already have less access to a variety of other resources, having less access to sleep, you really don't want that,” she said.
The study relied on data from Monitoring the Future, which spans more than 400,000 kids nationwide across three decades. Too little sleep can lead to chronic disease in the future.
Widome’s top and research-backed solution to the sleep gap is delaying school start times. But for now, parents’ role modeling of good sleep habits, like putting phones away, can help.
Listen to the full conversation by clicking the player button above.
