ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Lack of sleep in children could lead to long-term problems with memory, intelligence: study

Not getting enough sleep could have a detrimental impact on the development of those parts of the brain responsible for memory and intelligence for children, a new study has found. (Pexels) Not getting enough sleep could have a detrimental impact on the development of those parts of the brain responsible for memory and intelligence for children, a new study has found. (Pexels)
Share

A new study has found that not getting enough sleep could have a detrimental impact on brain development for children and lead to cognitive difficulties down the road.

The study, published in peer-reviewed journal on Saturday, involved 8,300 children between the ages of nine and 10. Researchers out of the University of Maryland School of Medicine examined the participants' MRI images, medical records, conducted surveys and followed up with the children two years later.

Around half of the children in the study cohort had sufficient sleep while the other half did not get enough sleep, according to the study.

Each child in the two groups was compared against their "matched pair" from the other group, and the researchers controlled for confounding variables that could also impact brain development, such as gender, puberty status, physical health indicators and socioeconomic status.

"We tried to match the two groups as closely as possible to help us more fully understand the long-term impact on too little sleep on the pre-adolescent brain," said study author Ze Wang .

The researchers found the children with insufficient sleep exhibited poorer development of those parts of the brain that are responsible for memory and intelligence.

These differences in brain development are also correlated with mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and impulsive behaviors, researchers said.

"We found that children who had insufficient sleep, less than nine hours per night, at the beginning of the study had less grey matter or smaller volume in certain areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory and inhibition control compared to those with healthy sleep habits," Wang said in the release.

"These differences persisted after two years, a concerning finding that suggests long-term harm for those who do not get enough sleep."

But in follow-up assessments, the researchers also discovered the children who had sufficient sleep began to gradually get less sleep. There was little change in sleep patterns among the insufficient sleep group, according to the study.

nine to 11 hours of sleep per night for children between the ages of five and 13, and eight to 10 hours for youth 14 to 17 years of age.

The researchers say this is the first study to look at the long-term impacts of insufficient sleep on the neurocognitive development of children. The authors say the findings "highlight the crucial need for early intervention" when it comes to ensuring children get enough sleep in order to facilitate healthy brain development.

"Additional studies are needed to confirm our finding and to see whether any interventions can improve sleep habits and reverse the neurological deficits," Wang noted.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

DEVELOPING

DEVELOPING Here's what we know about Israel's latest strike in Beirut

Smoke is rising over Lebanon’s capital of Beirut Friday after Israel’s military struck southern suburbs – a dramatic escalation in a year-long period of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

BREAKING

BREAKING

Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.