Study finds teenagers with early bedtimes show sharper mental skills
24 Apr 2025 13:02
(WAM)Teenagers who go to bed earlier and enjoy longer sleep tend to have sharper mental skills and perform better in cognitive tests, according to new research, a new study involving more than 3,000 adolescents has found.The study revealed that those who went to bed the earliest, slept the longest and had the lowest resting heart rates during sleep outperformed their peers in reading, vocabulary, problem-solving and other cognitive assessments.While researchers anticipated that teenagers with healthier sleep habits would score higher, they were surprised by the significant impact even small differences in sleep patterns could make.'We think that it's the sleep driving the better cognitive abilities, in part because we consolidate our memories during sleep,' said Barbara Sahakian, a professor of clinical neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge.Sahakian's team and researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai analysed data from 3,222 young people in the adolescent brain cognitive development study, the largest long-term investigation into brain development and child health in the US. Those who took part had brain scans, cognitive tests, and tracked their sleep using Fitbits.Despite the healthier habits of some teenagers, the study found that even the best sleepers were not meeting recommended sleep durations. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises that those aged between 13 and 18 should sleep for eight to 10 hours per night.The participants were divided into three distinct sleep pattern groups. The first group, comprising 39 percent, went to bed the latest and woke the earliest, averaging seven hours and 10 minutes of sleep. The second group, 24 percent, averaged seven hours and 21 minutes of sleep.The third group, accounting for 37 percent, went to bed the earliest, slept the longest and had the lowest sleeping heart rates, with an average of seven hours and 25 minutes of sleep.Professor Sahakian described the results as 'surprising', noting that small differences in sleep duration appeared to significantly influence outcomes. 'It suggests that small differences in sleep amounts accrue over time to make a big difference in outcomes,' she said.
To improve sleep and support better mental performance, Sahakian recommends regular physical activity and avoiding the use of mobile phones or computers in the late evening.
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Teens who sleep earlier show better brain function, study finds
Teenagers who sleep earlier and longer may perform better in school and daily thinking tasks, a new study has found. Researchers discovered that even small differences in sleep schedules could have a big effect on a young person's mental abilities. The study looked at over 3,000 teens and found that those who went to bed the earliest and had the longest sleep scored higher in reading, vocabulary, and problem-solving tests. These teens also had lower resting heart rates while they slept, which is often a sign of better health. 'We think that it's the sleep driving the better cognitive abilities, in part because we consolidate our memories during sleep,' said Barbara Sahakian, a professor at the University of Cambridge. The research was done by Sahakian's team and experts from Fudan University in Shanghai. It used data from the U.S.-based Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, where teens had brain scans, took cognitive tests, and wore Fitbits to track their sleep. The study grouped the teens into three sleep patterns. Those who slept the earliest and longest had an average of seven hours and 25 minutes of sleep. Even then, none of the groups reached the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep advised by sleep experts. Experts suggest avoiding phone or computer use in the evening and staying active during the day to help improve sleep. Good sleep habits may support better memory, focus, and thinking skills, which can help teens in their studies and daily life.
Al Etihad
24-04-2025
- Al Etihad
Study finds teenagers with early bedtimes show sharper mental skills
24 Apr 2025 13:02 (WAM)Teenagers who go to bed earlier and enjoy longer sleep tend to have sharper mental skills and perform better in cognitive tests, according to new research, a new study involving more than 3,000 adolescents has study revealed that those who went to bed the earliest, slept the longest and had the lowest resting heart rates during sleep outperformed their peers in reading, vocabulary, problem-solving and other cognitive researchers anticipated that teenagers with healthier sleep habits would score higher, they were surprised by the significant impact even small differences in sleep patterns could make.'We think that it's the sleep driving the better cognitive abilities, in part because we consolidate our memories during sleep,' said Barbara Sahakian, a professor of clinical neuropsychology at the University of team and researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai analysed data from 3,222 young people in the adolescent brain cognitive development study, the largest long-term investigation into brain development and child health in the US. Those who took part had brain scans, cognitive tests, and tracked their sleep using the healthier habits of some teenagers, the study found that even the best sleepers were not meeting recommended sleep durations. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises that those aged between 13 and 18 should sleep for eight to 10 hours per participants were divided into three distinct sleep pattern groups. The first group, comprising 39 percent, went to bed the latest and woke the earliest, averaging seven hours and 10 minutes of sleep. The second group, 24 percent, averaged seven hours and 21 minutes of third group, accounting for 37 percent, went to bed the earliest, slept the longest and had the lowest sleeping heart rates, with an average of seven hours and 25 minutes of Sahakian described the results as 'surprising', noting that small differences in sleep duration appeared to significantly influence outcomes. 'It suggests that small differences in sleep amounts accrue over time to make a big difference in outcomes,' she said. To improve sleep and support better mental performance, Sahakian recommends regular physical activity and avoiding the use of mobile phones or computers in the late evening.
Gulf News
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Think sleep doesn't matter? New study shows early-bed teens outperform their peers
Dubai: For many of us, bedtime as children was non-negotiable - parents enforced strict lights-out rules with one core message: if you want to do well in school, you need a good night's sleep. As it turns out, they may have been right all along. A new study, published on April 16 in the scientific journal Cell Reports, has reinforced the idea that sleep is crucial for cognitive performance in teenagers. Conducted by researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai and the University of Cambridge, the study monitored the sleep habits of over 3,000 adolescents and found that those who went to bed earlier, slept longer, and had lower heart rates during sleep consistently outperformed their peers in cognitive tasks such as reading, vocabulary, and problem solving. 'Regularly getting a good night's sleep is important in helping us function properly,' said Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, one of the study's authors. 'While we know a lot about sleep in adulthood and later life, we know surprisingly little about sleep during adolescence, even though this is a crucial time in our development.' The research drew on data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term investigation into brain development and child health in the United States. Previous studies in this area often relied on self-reported sleep patterns, which can be unreliable. To overcome this, researchers used wearable fitness trackers (FitBits) to collect objective sleep data from more than 3,200 participants aged between 11-12 years old. These adolescents also underwent brain scans and cognitive assessments. To validate their findings, the researchers cross-checked the results with two additional groups of 13- to 14-year-olds, totalling around 1,190 participants. The team identified three distinct sleep pattern groups: Group One (39 per cent of participants) slept an average of 7 hours and 10 minutes. They tended to go to bed the latest and woke up the earliest. Group Two (24 per cent) had a slightly longer average sleep duration of 7 hours and 21 minutes, with average sleep timing. Group Three (37 per cent) clocked the longest average sleep - 7 hours and 25 minutes and went to bed the earliest. They also recorded the lowest sleeping heart rates. While academic performance at school did not significantly differ across the three groups, the cognitive test results told another story. Group Three, the earliest sleepers with the most rest and lowest heart rates outperformed both Group Two and Group One on tasks related to memory, vocabulary, reading, and focus. Professor Sahakian described the findings as 'surprising', telling The Guardian that even relatively minor differences in sleep accumulated over time to make a substantial difference in outcomes. Dr Qing Ma from Fudan University, another lead author, added: 'Although our study can't conclusively prove that better sleep causes improved brain function, there is a growing body of research suggesting this link. For instance, sleep has well-documented benefits for memory consolidation, which plays a vital role in learning.' The study also examined the participants' heart rates during sleep, another strong indicator of sleep quality. Lower heart rates, as seen in Group Three, are often associated with better sleep and overall health. Conversely, higher heart rates can signal restless sleep, frequent awakenings, or poor sleep quality.
