Staying up late seriously damages adolescents' health, specifically their respiratory health, warns new research published in ERJ Open Research.
This is the first study to specifically investigate the relationship between sleep times and respiratory health in adolescents, showing that those who tend to stay up late and wake up later in the day are more at risk of allergies and asthma.
According to Dr. Subhabrata Moitra from the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Alberta, Canada, who carried out the research while at the Barcelona Institute of Global Health, the evidence available to date on asthma, in addition to its increasing trend in adolescents - due to exposure to air pollution and cigarette smoke - found a link between its symptoms and sleep and melatonin (sleep hormone) levels. The new question was to determine whether specific sleep schedules play a specific role.
The study involved 1.684 adolescents from West Bengal, India, aged 13 and 14, who were asked to answer questions about possible symptoms (wheezing, asthma or hay fever symptoms such as runny nose and sneezing) and about habits that would classify them as late risers or early risers, such as what time of night they felt tired and what time they would choose to get up in the morning. Other factors influencing asthma, such as living in a smoking environment, were also taken into account in the process.
The findings yielded a three times higher risk of asthma in the group of adolescents who slept late at night, while there was twice the risk of allergic rhinitis. According to lead researcher Dr. Moitra, impaired melatonin production in "late risers" likely accounted for the relevant findings. In addition, he highlighted the negative impact of light from tablet and mobile phone screens on melatonin production and wakefulness in young people.
The next phase of the research is scheduled for the year 2028-2029, when the study in a new population sample will highlight possible changes in lifestyle, sleep routine and consequently their respiratory health.
Source: ygeiamou.gr
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