14 DAY TRIAL // According to the conclusions of a new study conducted by investigators at the University of Cincinnati, it would appear that teens who do not have a good relationship with their parents, teachers or peers are more likely not to get the 9 or 10 hours of sleep per night that they need to stay healthy.
The same study found that a hormonal issue that occurs around this age may contribute to disrupting some important processes related to puberty, leading to lack of sleep. The work was led by UC sociologist and sleep researcher David Maume, NPR reports.
His group published details of its investigation, which lasted for three years, and covered 974 teens, in a paper that appears in the December issue of the esteemed Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Teens who received support both at home and at school tended to sleep better than their peers who did not.
Hormonal changes that occur within the teen body during puberty may also play a role in sleep loss. The research group says that each individual reacts differently to these changes. In some cases, reactions might be extreme enough to lead to disrupted sleep patterns, the team concludes.