New study finds another difference between gay kids and their straight peers
LGBT Health, looked at 8,500 kids. Among those aged 10-14, 35% of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and “questioning” kids said they had trouble falling or staying asleep in the preceding two weeks.
This compares to just 13% of youngsters who identified as straight.Several previous studies have found that LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to experience discrimination and depression.
The results are therefore perhaps not all that surprising. That said, this is believed to be the first such study looking specifically at insomnia in US queer youth.Kids and teens need more sleep than adults (ideally 8-10 hours compared to 7-8 hours when older).“Sleep is incredibly important for a teenager’s health,” lead author Jason M.
Nagata, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, told NBC. “There’s growth spurts and hormonal changes that help you develop normally.”“This is such a volatile period, both physically and mentally,” Nagata continued. “Teens are particularly vulnerable to the opinions of their peers, so it’s a high-risk group for mental health problems and suicide.”The study concludes that “sexual minority status may be linked to sleep disturbance in early adolescence.
