Depression, Obesity, Agression in Teens? Turn Off the Computer and Go to Sleep!

Sleep is the best time the mind and body can restore itself, according to altMD.

Now a recent BBC report on Junk Sleep indicates that teens get very little of it, during crucial growing/formative years.

Electronics, researchers in Scotland said, were the reason behind Junk Sleep that is damaging teen health. Children aged 12 to 16 who are glued to the phone, music player, computer, TV, or video games, miss valuable time getting the minimum requirements of eight hours a night of healthy sleep.

More than 1000 teens were surveyed and of those, 40% of the teens said they were often tired during the day, with behavior that at minimum was irritable, often aggressive. Additionally, previous studies found that people who do not get enough sleep are more likely to be obese. UK scientists found that sleep deprivation leads to hormonal changes in the body which creates cravings for sugary or starchy food to provide an energy boost. This leads to even more serious life-threatening complications, such as diabetes, hypertension or other heart-related illnesses in teens.

And any sleep-deprived, new mom will attest to the lack of sleep interrupting with their mental wellness. Studies show sleep-deprivation closely linked to a thyroid dysfunction which leads to depression.

A push in public awareness that sleep is important for good health is required, said The Edinburgh Sleep Centre.

The message, they said, is simple: "switch off the gadgets and get more sleep."