Sleep for students: 15 minutes more for better grades and health!

A recent study shows that just a quarter of an hour more sleep can make a significant difference in the brain performance of teenagers. The research, led by neuropsychologist Barbara Sahakian from the US University of Cambridge, was carried out in collaboration with Chinese colleagues and examined sleep data and brain scans of adolescents from the US and China.

The analysis included over 3,200 young people aged 11 to 14 and draws on data from the long-term study “Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development”. The study found that teens who slept an average of 7 hours and 25 minutes performed better on cognitive tests that measure problem-solving skills, reading comprehension and concentration, compared to their peers who slept for shorter periods of time.

Details of the study

For the study, the adolescents were divided into three groups based on their sleep duration:

• Gruppe 1: 7 Stunden und 25 Minuten Schlaf
• Gruppe 2: 7 Stunden und 21 Minuten Schlaf
• Gruppe 3: 7 Stunden und 10 Minuten Schlaf

Despite the small differences in sleep duration, noticeable differences were found in brain structure, activity and test results. However, neither group achieved the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's recommended sleep duration of 8 to 10 hours for adolescents. The study also finds that longer sleep is associated with lower blood pressure, which is considered an indicator of better health.

It should be noted that the results do not clarify whether additional sleep is the cause of better performance, but other studies show positive effects of sleep on memory. Additional research questions revolve around why some adolescents have difficulty getting enough sleep, which may be due to video game use or their natural body clock.

Similar findings were also published in an additional study showing that improvement in reading and problem-solving skills in adolescents also correlates with fifteen minutes more sleep. The brain volume was also examined, which was largest in the group with the longer sleep, while the group with the shortest sleep had the lowest values. What was surprising was the finding that there were no differences in the participants' academic performance, even though the optimal sleep duration for young people was not achieved.

The basic results of the studies underline the importance of adequate sleep for cognitive development in adolescence and emphasize the need to avoid technological devices 30 minutes before bedtime.