Association between Puberty and Delayed Phase Preference

TLDR

Many teenagers go to bed and wake up significantly later than younger children, a developmental progression thought to reflect adolescent psychosocial processes. The study aimed to determine whether biological processes underlie adolescents’ delayed phase preference by surveying 183 boys and 275 girls on morningness/eveningness and pubertal status. Researchers collected questionnaire data on morningness/eveningness, pubertal status, school environment, and birth order from the participants. Girls showed a significant association between pubertal status and morningness/eveningness, boys displayed a similar but nonsignificant trend, and no link was found with psychosocial factors, supporting a biological contribution to adolescent phase preference delay and indicating that current sleep pattern models may need revision.

Abstract

Many teenagers go to bed and wake up significantly later than younger children, a developmental progression thought to reflect adolescent psychosocial processes. To determine whether biological processes may underlie a delay of phase preference in adolescents, 183 sixth-grade boys and 275 sixth-grade girls completed questionnaires for morningness/eveningness (M/E) and pubertal status. School environment and birth order were also evaluated. A significant relationship of pubertal status to M/E was found in girls, with a similar though nonsignificant trend in boys. No relationship between M/E and psychosocial factors was found. These data support involvement of a biological factor in the adolescent phase preference delay and indicate that our current understanding of adolescent sleep patterns may need revision.