Good sleep reduces teenagers? chances of using drugs: Study

Teenagers who get a good night’s sleep are less likely to use drugs, a new research suggests.Restricting watching television and using computers and mobiles late at night helps reduce the chances of children trying marijuana, a new study shows.Besides, parents should also ensure that their children’s friends are well-rested, as the research of 8,349 teenagers found that not only were both habits linked but that they “spread” within social groups, the Telegraph reported.“Our behaviour are connected to each other and we need to start thinking about how one behaviour affects our lives on many levels.“Therefore, when parents, schools and law enforcement want to look for ways to influence one outcome, such as drug use, our research suggests that targeting another behaviour, like sleep, may have a positive influence,” said lead researcher Sara Mednick.Asserting that there were many ways to promote healthy sleeping habits, Mednick from the University of California said: “Take the TV out of the child’s bedroom, limit computer and phone usage to daytime and early evening hours, and promote napping.”The researchers also found that getting little sleep and using drugs were habits that “spread” through a teenager’s friendship groups.Teens were more likely to suffer from sleep deprivation if their friends did, or even their friends of friends did, said the findings published in the journal PLOS One show.“This is our first investigation of the spread of illegal drug use in social networks, and we believe it is also the first study in any age population on the spread of sleep behaviours through social networks,” Mednick said http://bit.ly/bHBMnG