Lack of sleep causes tardiness and doesn't keep the body fit and energized. A new study finds that lack of sleep in teenagers can also leave them exposed to heart diseases.
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), it's essential for teens to get at least nine hours sleep every night. However, the study found that teenagers of current times get less than six and a half hours of sleep which is not good for their heart condition at all.
Dr. Indra Narang and colleagues examined the sleeping conditions of 4,104 teens and found that 20 percent of them got inadequate amount of sleep due to disturbed sleeping habits like waking up in between, restlessness, not getting sleep or waking up due to bad dreams or nightmares. Another 10 percent of teenagers don't get enough sleep during weekends due to socializing and hanging out with friends. The study also found that 5.9 percent of teenagers depended on medication for sleep.
Participants of the voluntary study were asked to share details about their sleep patterns in a questionnaire. Other factors like BMI, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and family history of cardiovascular disease were also taken into consideration. They also slept for 9 hours on weekdays and 9.4 hours on weekends.
An analysis of the study stated that the consumption of fried foods, soft drinks, sweets, caffeinated drinks, lack of exercise and high TV were some factors that lead to disturbances in sleeping patterns.
"These findings are important, given that sleep disturbance is highly prevalent in adolescence and that cardiovascular disease risk factors track from childhood into adulthood," lead author Narang, respirologist and director of sleep medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario and coauthors, said in a news release.
"In addition to these health risks, previous studies have shown that poor sleep also negatively impacts school performance. Parents should monitor caffeine intake, bedtimes and bedrooms overloaded with media," Dr. Brian McCrindle, senior author and cardiologist added.
