Regularly sleeping fewer than nine hours a night can affect the brains of elementary school-age children — including regions responsible for memory, intelligence and well-being.
That’s according to researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine evaluating data from the largest long-term study examining brain development and child health.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that children 6 to 12 years old sleep nine to 12 hours nightly.
“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,” said study co-author Ze Wang, a professor of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine at the school. He holds a doctorate in biomedical engineering.
Children getting insufficient sleep also experienced behavioral changes, Wang said, and they had greater mental health problems — such as depression, anxiety and impulsive behaviors — when compared with children getting adequate sleep.
The difference in grey matter volume when comparing those with insufficient sleep with those who were well rested is modest from a data standpoint, Wang said.
What he finds most concerning, though, is the differences persisting after two years, which suggests that harm might grow over time.
“They may accumulate; they may become bigger, and they may become permanent,” he said.
Researchers conducting the study examined MRI images, medical records and surveys completed by the participants and their parents as part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study on over 8,300 children when they were 9 to 10 years old and again at 11 to 12 years old.
The National Institutes of Health funded the ABCD study, which it states is the largest long-term study of brain development related to child health in the U.S.
Find more tips on getting the best possible rest here.
