A good night sleep is really good for the adolescents. Because, it can help them not just be awake in the class, but also handle the social situations.
According to a study by the Michigan State University involving the 9th grade students, a good night’s sleep does adolescents good for handling social situations.
It was found that adequate sleep allowed students to cope with discrimination and challenges associated with ethnic or racial bias. It also helps them problem-solve more effectively and seek peer support when faced with hardships.
“Findings of this study have important implications,” said Yijie Wang, assistant professor of human development and family studies at MSU. “Understanding how sleep helps adolescents negotiate social challenges may consequently elucidate how promoting sleep may improve adolescent adjustment during high school and beyond.”
Participants in the study wore an actigraphy watch, which tracked physical activities in one-minute intervals and determined their sleep-wake state, every day for two weeks. The students were also asked to complete a survey each day before bed, reporting their daytime experiences such as ethnic or racial discrimination, how they responded to stress and their psychological well-being.
A surprising finding in the study was that peers, not parents, were the immediate support that help adolescents cope with discrimination. Still, parents have an important role in helping their children cope with both sleep and social situations. Beyond getting the recommended eight hours, the quality of sleep is just as important. That includes having a regular bedtime, limiting media use and providing a quiet, less crowded sleep environment.
