UC Davis Study Finds Sleep Beats Screen Time for Teen Academic and Social Success
A new study by UC Davis Health examined how four lifestyle factors—sleep quality, screen time, physical activity and diet—affect the relationship between mental‑health symptoms and academic and social functioning in adolescents aged 10 to 13. Using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, researchers found that sleep quality was the strongest factor linked to better grades and fewer social problems, explaining 36.3 % of the anxiety‑related decline, 18.5 % of the depression‑related decline and 8.3 % of the psychotic‑like symptom‑related decline. Screen time was the second‑strongest factor, accounting for roughly 5‑6 % of these associations. The effect of sleep was especially pronounced for teens already experiencing anxiety or depression. “This finding surprised us,” said first author Jason Smucny, noting that sleep stood out clearly above other lifestyle factors. The study was published in Psychological Medicine.
Entities
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study · Jason Smucny · Psychological Medicine · Tara Niendam · Teenagers · UC Davis Health · University of California, Davis Health
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which followed over 11,000 children. www.heftig.de · businessnewsthisweek.com · gr.euronews.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Sleep explained 18.5 % of the association between depression symptoms and poorer school performance. www.heftig.de · businessnewsthisweek.com · gr.euronews.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Sleep explained 8.3 % of the association between psychotic‑like experiences and poorer school performance. www.heftig.de · businessnewsthisweek.com · gr.euronews.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Sleep explained 36.3 % of the association between anxiety symptoms and poorer school performance. www.heftig.de · businessnewsthisweek.com · gr.euronews.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Jason Smucny and Tara Niendam are co‑authors of the study. www.heftig.de · businessnewsthisweek.com · gr.euronews.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Sleep quality is the strongest lifestyle factor associated with better grades and fewer social problems in adolescents aged 10‑13. www.heftig.de · businessnewsthisweek.com · gr.euronews.com · www.news-medical.net · www.newswise.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Screen time is the second strongest factor, accounting for about 5‑6 % of the link between mental‑health symptoms and academic/social outcomes. www.heftig.de · businessnewsthisweek.com · gr.euronews.com · www.news-medical.net · www.newswise.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The study was published in the journal Psychological Medicine. www.heftig.de · businessnewsthisweek.com · gr.euronews.com