Just as sleep is crucial ti the health of adults, new research suggests that lack of sleep may affect teens health too.
ohio researchers found that otherwise healthy teens who slept less than 6.5 hours anight were 2.5 times more likely than those who slept longer to have elevated blood pressure. The study, published in circulatoin : journal of the American Heart Association, also revealed that the systolic blood pressure of teens with "low sleep efficiency" a measure of sleep quality defined as "having trouble falling or staying asleep" was on average, four points higher than that of teens who slept well. And the sleep-deprived were 3.5 times more likely to have prehypertension or hypertension. Although further study is needed, researchers caution that untreated hypertension can increase the risk of stroke and other cardiovaskular disease later in life.
