Study reveals higher sleep problems among gay youths.
Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths are more than twice as likely to have sleep problems than their straight counterparts, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data on more than 8,500 young people ages 10 to 14 and found that 35.1% of those who identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual reported trouble falling or staying asleep in the previous two weeks, compared to 13.5% of straight-identifying adolescents. Poor sleep can exacerbate mental health issues, and mental health issues can worsen sleep. Adolescents who get insufficient sleep may also have difficulty completing schoolwork and facing other academic challenges.