If your teen is having trouble sleeping, loneliness may be the cause.
Researchers from King’s College London have found that people suffering from loneliness are 24% more likely to feel tired and have a hard time concentrating during the day, according to a news release from the university.
Researchers pulled data from the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, which includes information from 2,232 18- and 19-year-old twins born in England and Wales.
They looked at answers to questions such as, “How often to do you feel that you lack companionship?” “How often do you feel left out?” “How often do you feel isolated from others?” and “How often do you feel alone?”
Researchers also measured sleep quality over a month.
Overall, 25% to 30% reported feeling lonely sometimes, and 5% reported feeling lonely frequently. Even when accounting for depression and anxiety, the link between loneliness and poor sleep quality remained.