Late-night teens 'face greater depression risk'

[HuckleB]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8435955.stm

One could make the usual assumption that the depression caused the sleeplessness, but...

"...

As well as the higher risk of depression, those who were set a bedtime by their parents of after midnight were 20% more likely to think about suicide than those whose bedtime was 2200 or earlier.

...

Study leader Dr James Gangwisch said although it it was possible that youngsters with depression struggle to sleep, the fact that parental set bedtimes were linked with depression suggests that a lack of sleep is somehow underpinning the development of the condition.

He said a lack of sleep could affect emotional brain responses and lead to moodiness that hindered the ability to cope with daily stresses.

..."

[Tumbulu]

1. Now what sort of parent has an after midnight bedtime for a kid

who is still going to school?

My goodness, that is late for anyone.

[mzmolly]

2. Sounds like the amount of sleep is key?

Good info, thanks! :hi:

[mopinko]

3. kids who listen to their parents are already a selected group.

kids who are already depressed already don't listen to their parents. kids who go to bed when their parents tell them to are probably not depressed already. this is the trouble with the whole sleep issue. like a mobieus strip, it is.

[HuckleB]

5. That's quite the assumption.

[mopinko]

6. based on experience, and a long time interest

in sleep.

[HuckleB]

7. Anecdotes are nice.

But meaningless.

Thanks anyway.

[mopinko]

9. my point was that the study was of a group that was not random.

i wasn't trying to state conclusions, just trying to point out that there was a bias in grouping.

[HuckleB]

12. It wasn't random?

Do you have any idea what you're talking about?

The grouping came after the selection. You appear to have a little bit of knowledge about research, but only enough to be dangerous.

:eyes:

[Quantess]

8. Not necessarily true.

Many depressed teenagers are well behaved.

[mopinko]

10. i know.

as posted above, i wasn't trying to refute the conclusion so much as point out that the study was using a grouping that was already tilted.

[Quantess]

4. Maybe it has something to do with the amount of natural sunlight.

People who sleep in late miss several morning hours of daylight.

Or maybe it's the lack of sleep.

[mopinko]

11. kids whose clock turn toward later, as most adolescents naturally do,

clash with the school schedule, which generally turns the other way. they end up either sleep deprived or in conflict with school and parents over refusal to get up. either way, it is a depressing situation.
a few schools which have experimented with have teenagers start later have had good results both academically and socially.