[/caption]Carol Forsloff - “What this study does is raise the possibility that poor sleep, from whatever cause, can indeed play into bullying or other aggressive behaviors – a major problem that many schools are trying to address,” is a summary statement researchers say is good information for prevention of bullying behavior.
Louise O’Brien, Ph.D., assistant professor in U-M’s Sleep Disorders Center and the departments of Neurology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery maintains further, “Our schools do push the importance of healthy eating and exercise, but this study highlights that good sleep is just as essential to a healthy lifestyle.”
Some of the children involved in the study reported by the University of Michigan had breathing problems during sleep, leading to daytime drowsiness. O’Brien believes that improving sleep can help inhibit bullying behavior and that additional research is needed in this area as part of prevention programs and to further refine understanding of aggression in children and the various causes of it.
This information coincides with other expert findings about the nature of sleep and its impact on behavior. For example, sleep problems have been found in children with Attention Deficit Disorder. Parents with ADHD children report 50% of them have sleep problems.
In a study of 184 young adult and adolescent offenders reported in PubMed, it was found that anger and aggression correlated highly with sleep difficulties. Both reduced quality and quantity of sleep were involved in the relationships found. Increased hostility and aggression was found to be associated with reduced hours of sleep or particular difficulties in the quality of sleep.
Aggression was found to relate both to the quantity and quality of sleep reported, with reduced quantity and quality predicted by increased overall aggression. Across aggression subscales, only increased hostility was predictive of reduced current hours of sleep and increased problems in sleep quality. Apnea risk scores were not predicted by aggression, anger, or impulsivity. Differences in sleep behavior before and during prison were demonstrated, with evidence for increased poor sleeping habits within detention. No differences were observed between young and juvenile offenders.
