Sleep extension among adolescents promotes positive, goal-directed emotional responses during social interactions: a Pilot study

The protective nature of adequate sleep during adolescence is poorly understood, particularly regarding social relationships. We explored emotion and behaviour during two social interaction tasks among teens assigned to sleep extension (SE) or typical sleep (TS) conditions. Twenty healthy adolescents completed a baseline assessment (7 nights typical sleep) followed by assignment to SE or TS (5 nights). Participants returned to the lab to complete a frustrating computer game and two social interactions with a confederate peer (one naturalistic, one manipulated) during which adolescents were asked to up-regulate positive emotion. Following a frustrating task, the SE group reported increased positive emotions during the goal-directed interaction relative to both the naturalistic interaction and the TS group. Findings suggest another 30 minutes of sleep for five nights assisted adolescents in up-regulating positive emotional to meet socially relevant goals. Findings from this pilot study support the protective role of adequate sleep for social functioning and emotional health during adolescence.