Gender differences in the impact of sleep duration on common mental disorders in school students

Abstract

Background Common mental disorders (CMD) in children and adolescents can be initial and non-specific manifestations of more serious mental diseases and often persist into adulthood. Therefore, early detection is important, as is the identification of the factors that impact development. Insufficient sleep represents one of the most common and potentially remediable risks to mental health in children and adolescents for whom chronic sleep loss has become normal. This study aims to investigate the influence of sleep duration on CMD in schoolchildren and adolescents. Methods The data for this longitudinal study were derived from the community trial Parents, Students, Community Health Agents and Teachers for Healthy Eating (PAAPAS) in 2016 (N = 2743), with fifth and sixth graders from 18 public schools of Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. CMD were assessed by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) at baseline and at a 9-month follow-up. Sleep duration was evaluated at baseline and was categorized as short, adequate or long according to age group. The effect of sleep duration on common mental disorders was analysed by sex using linear mixed-effects models. Results At baseline, the frequency of CMD was 33.2% and was higher in boys than in girls and higher among students with short sleep duration. There was an increase in the CMD score over time among girls with short sleep duration (p < 0.01). Among boys, a similar trajectory of the CMD score was observed in the subgroups with short and long sleep duration, but there was a significant reduction in the subgroup with long sleep duration (p = 0.05). Conclusion Changes in common mental disorder patterns differ according to sex, and short sleep duration seems to be problematic for students’ mental health. The promotion of health strategies that involve the family and school environment, such as later school hours, could help change this scenario.

Nonlinear relationship between sleep duration and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour among Chinese adolescents

“…In the present study, we found that insufficient sleep duration occurred more often among females than males, with approximately 63.5% of males and 73.1% of females reported sleeping for less than 8 h on weeknights. The results obtained in this study are consistent with most other findings [ 46 – 48 ], although some studies have found no sex-related differences in sleep duration [ 49 , 50 ]. Differences across sex in this study could be due to females requiring more preparation time in the morning, and advanced onset of puberty in females may contribute to later bedtimes [ 48 , 51 , 52 ].…”

Nonlinear Relationship between Sleep Duration and Non-suicidal Self-injurious Behaviour among Chinese Adolescents

“…In this study, we found insu cient sleep duration would be more likely among females than males, approximately 63.5% of males and 73.1% females reported sleeping less than 8 h on weeknights. The result obtained in this study was consistent with most other ndings [46][47][48]. There were still some studies that found no sex-related difference in sleep duration [49,50].…”

Social Jetlag and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness from a Sample of Russian Children and Adolescents

“… 38 This delayed sleep onset can impair the transition to social hours, making it difficult for adolescents to remain awake in situations where they are expected to perform at their best, such as in school and during sports activities. Support for this idea comes from Agathao et al, 39 who recently documented a significant increase in common mental disorders score among Brazilian schoolchildren with short sleep hours. Therefore, further examination of these conditions is warranted, because everyday activities, school and extracurricular schedules, and a lack of frequent physical activity, as well as abnormal anthropometric parameters such as body mass index (BMI), and nocturnal waking and respiratory disorders, are predictors of pathologies consistent with daytime sleepiness.…”