HealthDay (6/13, Thompson ) reported a study found that “teenagers with less sleep had lower connectivity between the parts of the brain that play a critical role in decision making, self-reflection and information processing.” The researchers “analyzed data on more than 2,800 kids whose sleep patterns were tracked using Fitbit wrist devices for at last two weeks on average.” The results “showed that short sleep dramatically affected the kids’ default mode network, a network of brain regions that tend to be active when a person is at rest and not focused on their external environment. A lack of sleep caused the different regions of the default mode network to become less connected.” According to researchers, “problems in these parts of the brain are also linked to mental illnesses like depression, ADHD and schizophrenia.” Additionally, “boys, older children and kids from racial minorities tended to have shorter sleep, as well as more behavior problems.” The study was published in Brain and Behavior.
Related Links:
— “Lack Of Sleep Alters Teens’ Brains, Potentially Promoting Behavior Issues,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, June 13, 2025