Family dynamics can impact teens sleep

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-09-12 01:00

Australia; VIC

Photo by minh đô on Unsplash

Family dynamics in early adolescence, including levels of conflict and how much parents monitor their teens, can impact the sleep of teens four years later, according to Australian research. The study of around 3,000 teens found that family conflict and parents having mental health conditions were linked to later sleep timing, a later body clock, and poorer sleep quality. In contrast, more parental monitoring was linked with better sleep quality and parental warmth was linked to having an earlier body clock in girls. The study also found that screen use partly explained some of the links to sleep timing, while emotional regulation in teens explained some of the links with sleep quality. The authors say that parenting strategies that encourage age-appropriate monitoring of adolescents, reduce family conflict, and address parental emotional distress may be especially useful for improving teens' sleep.

Media release

From: JAMA

Modifiable Parental Factors and Adolescent Sleep During Early Adolescence
JAMA Network Open

About JAMA Network Open:
JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from theJAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.

About The Study:
In this prospective study of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study cohort,modifiable parental factors in early adolescence were associated with specific adolescent sleep outcomes 4 years later,with screen use and emotional regulation serving as mediators. Adolescent sex moderated the association betweenparental warmth and sleep chronotype. These findings highlight potential targets for evidence-based interventions toimprove adolescent sleep health.

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.31333)

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Melbourne, Orygen, Monash University, Deakin University

Funder: This study was supported by a Melbourne Research Scholarship (Ms Ge), Investigator Grant fellowship 1177370 from the National Health and Medical Council (Dr Cropley), and a University of Melbourne Dame Kate Campbell fellowship (Dr Cropley). The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is supported by grants U01DA041048, U01DA050989, U01DA051016, U01DA041022, U01DA051018, U01DA051037, U01DA050987, U01DA041174, U01DA041106, U01DA041117, U01DA041028, U01DA041134, U01DA050988, U01DA051039, U01DA041156, U01DA041025, U01DA041120, U01DA051038, U01DA041148, U01DA041093, U01DA041089, U24DA041123, and U24DA041147 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and additional federal partners

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