Scientists at Columbia University in New York have shown that adolescents who go to bed after midnight are 24% more likely to suffer from depression than those who go to bed before ten. The research, carried out with data from 15,500 young people between the ages of 12 and 18, also reveals that when the number of hours of sleep is reduced to five or less, the risk of depression rises up to 71%. In addition, suicidal thoughts increase up to 20% among those who go to bed late.
As Dr. James Gangwisch, head of the study, concludes in the journal Sleep , everything indicates that lack of sleep could affect the emotional responses of the brain , which in turn would affect the ability to cope with daily stress. "An adequate quality of sleep could be a preventive measure and a treatment against depression," says Gangwisch.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teens get about nine hours of sleep a day.
