Popular kids get less sleep — and it has nothing to do with their phones

Being cool has its costs.

A recent study found that popular teens sleep less than their not-so-hip peers and popular girls are more likely to experience symptoms of insomnia than their male counterparts.

Using a sample of roughly 1,400 Swedish teenagers, researchers asked participants to report their weekly sleep levels, alcohol use, anxiety, depression and insomnia symptoms. The teens were then asked to nominate three of their friends. Those with the most nominations were defined as popular and this sought-after set was found to sleep far less than their peers, by up to 27 minutes. The researchers published their work in Frontiers in Sleep on Wednesday.

What’s more, the researchers believe the link between popularity and insufficient slumber has nothing to do with phones or screen time.

Instead, they hypothesize, more friends equals more socializing and less sleeping. Additionally, increased emotional investment in peer relationships can lead to difficulty falling and staying asleep.

Although smartphones are a common culprit for restlessness, having been linked to sleep deprivation and mental health issues in teens and adults, researchers found that likely wasn’t the case here. “Popularity has been associated with worse sleep both before and after the development of handheld communication technology,” the authors wrote.

Sleeping less, socializing more

It’s recommended that teenagers get eight to 10 hours of sleep each night. Many miss the mark, struggling to get their shut-eye due to circadian rhythm delay, later melatonin onset and higher rates of alertness in the evening, all of which predispose them to later bed and wake times.

During the teen years, sleep also faces stiff competition from school demands, extracurriculars and social obligations. More independence in this phase of development often equates to self-selected bedtimes and, in turn, less sleep.

With schools starting at an early hour, many teens try to sleep in on the weekends to recover the rest they miss during the school week, a strategy that may do more harm than good.

Dr. Serena Bauducco, a sleep researcher at Örebro University and a co-author of the study, reported, “Suppose a teen sleeps in on Sunday until 1 p.m. Falling asleep that night to be ready for school the next day will be a struggle because they won’t feel tired. Delaying wake times too much can contribute to maintaining the problem of sleep debt racked up during the week.”

Girls more likely to emotionally invest, experience insomnia

Researchers found an interesting discrepancy between the sleep habits of the sexes. Popular girls were found to be more likely to experience insomnia symptoms such as difficulty falling or staying asleep and rising too early. Meanwhile, popular boys did not suffer from these symptoms to the same extent.

Bauducco believes differing levels of investment in friend relationships might account for this difference. “Girls express more care and concern with their friends and engage in helping behaviors more than boys. This might mean they carry these concerns when it’s time to fall asleep,” she explained.

Drowsiness can be deadly

Regardless of gender or popularity, sleep deprivation can be deadly.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study showed a lack of sleep makes teens “significantly” more likely to engage in risky behaviors like drinking and driving, texting and driving, riding with a drunk driver and failing to use a seat belt or bicycle helmet. A recent report also found teenagers who get less than seven hours of sleep per night are 40% to 50% more likely to develop multiple sclerosis.

How do you make up the missing minutes? Research suggests teens who routinely nap for 30 to 60 minutes per day have improved attention, nonverbal reasoning ability and spatial memory. Thus, the solution to sleep deprivation may rest (pun intended) in designated, school-sanctioned naptime.

“Teenagers are arguably the most sleep-deprived population throughout the lifespan,” said Bauducco. Luckily, the difference between deprived and refreshed is slight. “Previous studies show that 30 minutes of extra sleep can lead to improved mental health and better school performance.”