A good night's sleep has been proven to have many benefits, including healthier futures for children.
A new study from Pennsylvania State University analyzed how childhood sleep patterns are linked to future drug use.
Researchers at the university found that young people who went to bed later and slept less during childhood were more likely to use alcohol and marijuana by age 15.
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The study, published in the Annals of Epidemiology, looked at data from 1,514 children in 20 cities across the United States, focusing on sleep duration and bedtime at different developmental stages.
A recent study found that if you had a late bedtime at age 9, you were 45% more likely to drink alcohol by age 15. (iStock)
Parents who took part in the Family Futures and Child Well-Being Study, from which the data was taken, recorded their children's bedtimes when they were 3, 5 and 9 years old, and how much sleep they got when they were 5 and 9 years old.
The study found that having a late bedtime at age 9 increased the chances of drinking alcohol by age 15 by 45 percent.
However, bedtime at age 5 was not associated with future alcohol use, nor was sleep duration at either age.
A Stanford University study found that going to bed after this time could lead to poorer mental health.
Meanwhile, a later bedtime at age 5 was associated with a 26% increased likelihood of marijuana use by age 15.
Sleeping one hour less at age 9 was associated with a 19% increased likelihood of trying marijuana during adolescence.
A later bedtime at age 5 was associated with a 26% increased likelihood of marijuana use by age 15. (iStock)
The 15-year-olds also reported on their bedtimes, sleep duration, and substance use, finding that those who went to bed later were 39% more likely to drink alcohol and 34% more likely to try marijuana.
“Ensuring children get enough quality sleep may protect their long-term health and encourage healthy behaviors later in life.”
Young people who slept one hour less were 28% more likely to try alcohol, but there was no association with marijuana.
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In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, study co-author Dr. David A. Reichenberger, a researcher in Penn State's School of Biobehavioral Health, noted that the study only included participants with complete data “so that we could assess the effects over time within the same population of children.”
“Overall, the implications of our findings suggest that sleep may play an important role in whether kids use drugs as teenagers,” he said.
The researchers suggested that later bedtimes could affect school-age children's ability to sleep. (iStock)
“Ensuring children get enough high-quality sleep may protect their long-term health and encourage healthy behaviors in the future,” the researchers added.
Dr. Wendy Troxell, a senior behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation in Park City, Utah, told Fox News Digital that the study adds to growing evidence that sleep disorders can lead to “risky health behaviors” later in life.
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“These findings are consistent with work I've done with my colleagues at RAND, showing that poor sleep during adolescence predicts longer-term increases in alcohol and marijuana use in early adulthood,” she said.
“Overall, the implications of our findings suggest that sleep may play an important role in whether children use drugs as teenagers,” the researchers said. (iStock)
“Importantly, this new data suggests that sleep problems earlier in life can predict substance use during adolescence, a key inflection point for the onset and worsening of drug and other alcohol use.”
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Troxell said sleep disorders can affect decision-making, impulse control and the ability to regulate emotions, which can increase the likelihood of substance use.
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“Collectively, these findings point to the importance of addressing sleep issues with multilevel strategies, including family-based programs and public policies such as later school start times, to promote sleep health in children and adolescents,” she said.
