Lack Of Sleep Alters Teens' Brains, Potentially Promoting Behavior Issues

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, June 13, 2025 — Brain changes in sleepless teens could make them more likely to be impulsive and aggressive, a new study says.

Teenagers with less sleep had lower connectivity between the parts of the brain that play a critical role in decision making, self-reflection and information processing, researchers reported June 13 in the journal Brain and Behavior.

Problems in these parts of the brain are also linked to mental illnesses like depression, ADHD and schizophrenia, researchers said.

“Sleep isn’t just good for children. It helps keep their mental health intact and helps them regulate their emotions,” senior researcher Assaf Oshri, director of the University of Georgia Center for Developmental Science, said in a news release.

For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 2,800 kids whose sleep patterns were tracked using Fitbit wrist devices for at last two weeks on average. The kids also underwent MRI brain scans and psychological testing.

Results showed that short sleep dramatically affected the kids’ default mode network, a network of brain regions that tend to be active when a person is at rest and not focused on their external environment.

A lack of sleep caused the different regions of the default mode network to become less connected, researchers found.

These kids also were more likely to have behavior problems like aggression, inattention and hyperactivity, results show.

“The paper shows that sleep duration and sleep efficiency are linked to distinct patterns of brain network connectivity that are predictive of problem behaviors,” Oshri said.

Boys, older children and kids from racial minorities tended to have shorter sleep, as well as more behavior problems, the study found.

The default mode network plays a major role in introspection and daydreaming, according to Harvard Medical School. When the network is active, people become more self-connected and imaginative, able to link ideas and better understand the minds of other people.

“Adolescence is an extremely critical period for brain development, and sleep is critical for brain development,” lead researcher Linhao Zhang, a recent doctoral graduate of the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences, said in a news release. “But many adolescents don’t get enough quality sleep at night.”

Sources

  • University of Georgia, news release, June 9, 2025
  • Brain and Behavior, June 13, 2025
  • Harvard Medical School, May 4, 2017

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-06-14 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords