THURSDAY, Feb. 1, 2007 (HealthDay News) -- Sleepless nights can leave their mark on teens' report cards, a new study finds.
Researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine analyzed 238 surveys filled out by middle-school and high-school students. The findings showed that students with lower grade point averages (GPA) were more likely to have: restless, aching legs when they were trying to fall asleep; difficulty concentrating during the day; snoring every night; difficulty waking up in the morning; daytime sleepiness; and problems with falling asleep in class.
The study was published in the Feb. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
"While a series of previously-conducted studies all found that adolescents reporting inadequate sleep, irregular sleep patterns, and/or poor sleep quality do not perform as well in school as students without sleep complaints, this study provides additional evidence indicating that sleep disturbances occur at high frequencies in adolescents and significantly affect daytime performance, as measured by GPA," study author Dr. James F. Pagel said in a prepared statement.
He said it's important for parents to discuss their teen's sleep-related problems with a doctor.
Here are some sleep tips for teens, courtesy of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine:
More information
The National Sleep Foundation has more about teens and sleep.