Popular high school kids sleep differently, scientists say

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Scientists have found a downside to being popular, especially if you're a teenage girl.

Getting enough sleep is essential for our mental and physical wellbeing. It helps us consolidate our memories and aids physical recovery, and not getting enough has been shown to contribute to heart disease, obesity, neurodegenerative disorders and depression.

As a teenager, sleep is even more important, with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommending teenagers aged 13 to 18 sleeping eight to 10 hours every night. However, national surveys show that more than seven in 10 high schoolers are not getting enough sleep.

There are several reasons for this. One is that, from about the age of 13, our natural body clock shifts slightly later, so teens often find it difficult to get to sleep. Combine this with early school mornings, homework, after school activities and screentime, it's no wonder many teens are struggling to get their Zs.

Stock image of a teenager asleep on her homework. Over 70 percent of American high schoolers aren't getting enough sleep. AntonioGuillem/Getty

Not all teenagers are equally affected and, according to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Sleep, the "cool kids" might be having the hardest time.

"We show that popular teenagers reported shorter sleep duration," Serena Bauducco, a sleep researcher at Örebro University in Sweden and first author of the new study, said in a statement. "In particular, popular girls—but not boys—reported more insomnia symptoms."

Their study investigated a sample of more than 1,300 Swedish teenagers aged 14 to 18. They were each asked to nominate up to three friends, and those who received the most nominations were considered to be the most "popular."

Interestingly, those who were considered to be the most popular slept less than their peers—up to 27 minutes for those who were considered the "most popular."

So is this just because the cool kids spend more time texting? "Most interestingly, popularity also seems to negatively impact sleep both before and after the advent of smartphones," Bauducco said.

When analyzing girls and boys separately, more popular girls experience difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep and often woke up too early. Popular boys, meanwhile, did not experience these symptoms to a significant extent.

Exactly why these gender disparities exist is unclear, but the researchers suggest it might be something to do with the types of friendships girls and boys tend to have at that age. "Girls express more care and concern with their friends and engage in helping behaviors more than boys," Bauducco said. "This might mean they carry these concerns when it's time to fall asleep."

Socializing is an important part of becoming an adult and, irrespective of popularity, these results add to a growing body of evidence that school schedules are not accommodating teenagers' sleep needs.

"Teenagers are arguably the most sleep deprived population throughout the lifespan," Bauducco said. "Previous studies show that 30 minutes of extra sleep can lead to improved mental health and better school performance."

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