Why bed time is SO important: Sleep-deprived children ‘more likely to abuse drugs and binge-drink as teenagers’ (Excerpt)
Study found every hour of less sleep drove up binge-drinking by 20%
Sleep-deprived kids were also more likely to smoke cannabis earlier
Researchers warn this shows the importance of sleep for children
Source: Daily Mail
By Mia De Graaf
22 September 2016
Sleep-deprived children are more likely to abuse drugs and binge-drink when they hit adolescence, a new study warns.
Over a period of 10 years, researchers monitored 186 boys from western Pennsylvania, starting at age 11.
They surveyed their sleep habits throughout the study. Then, at the age of 21, interviewed them about any experiences they’d had with drugs or alcohol.
Overwhelmingly, the boys who experienced more sleep disruption were the earliest to start drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis.