A national study by Flinders University found that parents setting bedtime rules can be protective of their teenage children’s health and wellbeing, helping them to establish good sleep routines as young adults and in the future. The study, which used feedback from 2,500 students aged 12 to 14 between 2019-2020, found that adolescents whose parents set bedtimes had at least 20 minutes more sleep on average, which can make all the difference to next-day performance. The researchers are now seeking 30 participants for a new study in Adelaide to record their self-monitored sleep overnight, using electronic devices and other factors to find out more about teen sleep habits.
In line with a recent study by Flinders University researchers, parents setting bedtime rules can have a protective effect on their teenage children’s health and wellbeing. The study involved feedback from 2500 students aged between 12 to 14 years from across the country between 2019-2020. It found that adolescents whose parents set bedtimes had at least 20 minutes more sleep on average.
Teenagers need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night, and the study found that parental guidance can help improve their sleep patterns. The researchers also found that some adolescents were happy to have parents reintroduce bedtime setting after a period of having no bedtime rules.
Dr Serena Bauducco, a visiting scholar from Sweden and a psychology researcher, said that “Most young people tend to stay up later and have less sleep when they are left to set their own bedtimes, but qualitative research is finding that adolescents are open to parental guidance to improve their sleep patterns.”
The study, published in the Journal of Sleep Research, also found that holding on to bedtime rules seems to slow down the natural trend towards later bedtimes and shorter sleep duration seen throughout adolescence. This not only shows that sleep interventions help to maintain positive sleep routines but also can reintroduce bedtime rules in mid-adolescence, paving the way for sleep gains in teenagers at an age when it is most needed.
The Flinders University researchers are now seeking 30 participants for a new study in Adelaide to record their self-monitored sleep overnight using electronic devices and other factors to find out more about teen sleep habits.
In consideration of all these factors, the study shows that parents can have a significant impact on their teenage children’s sleep by setting bedtime rules. Adolescents need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night, and parental guidance can help improve their sleep patterns. The study supports a growing body of research highlighting the positive impact of parent-set bedtimes on adolescents’ sleep and emphasizes the importance of establishing good sleep routines as young adults and in the future.
