A 28-year study has shown that money worries are increasingly keeping teenagers awake at night. In fact, financial stress is outweighing fears about the environment and global war. Back in the 1980s, climate change and global conflict caused high levels of anxiety in youngsters. They also produced countless sleepless nights for teenagers and college students. However, these concerns now pale in comparison to financial security woes – which are seeing record numbers of insomniacs trying to map out their futures.
Recent Stats and Figures
According to a recent study conducted at Karlstad University, youngsters are now 92 percent more likely to suffer sleep problems due to financial security concerns. In fact, Dr. Nanette Danielsson of Karlstad in Sweden stated that “many adolescents experience sleep troubles, and these are associated with adverse consequences.” Dr. Danielsson – who is also an industry leading author – even pointed out the following:
Sleep disturbance was strongly associated with worries about the family’s financial situation. Relationships between insomnia and worries about global war and environmental issues were weaker. Financial worries and current political threats had stronger associations with sleepless nights than other domestic and global crises.
Swedish Studies
The recent facts and figures were based on Swedish research and studies. In fact, Swedish researchers have been quizzing youngsters annually for the last two decades. Based on their findings, sleep disturbance was reported by 24 percent of girls and 16 percent of boys. The studies also highlighted the experiences of over 20,000 Swedish teenagers that were asked to complete questionnaires about living conditions and overall health.
Those that were polled were asked about the main fears and worries which keep them up at night. The choices were as followed:
- Parents becoming unemployed.
- Family economy issues.
- Personal or family accidents/illnesses.
- Bullying/harassment.
- Nuclear war/global conflicts.
- Domestic and international acts of terrorism.
- Financial insecurity and uncertainty.
According to the results, 81 percent of youngsters were more likely to be worried about financial security than in 1988. Sleep disruption due to fears of environmental disasters also fell by 60 percent between the 1990s and 2011. Furthermore, many students were less concerned about nuclear war than they were about financial distress and economic worries.
Sleep Health Issues
The study also correlated with sleep studies based on stress and anxiety. In fact, the study was published in the journal, Sleep Health, which highlighted the connections between financial worries and insomnia. In addition, researchers found a strong link between adolescent sleep issues and future mental health problems. In this day and age of global turmoil and uncertainty, the financial markets have been heavily impacted across the globe. Students wondering about how they will pay back loans – as well as afford living expenses after college – are all too common in the world we live in today.
Financial Insecurities
With more teens up at night than ever before, what is the solution to the ongoing fiscal crisis? Will the burden of student loans, medical bills, and other expenses ever be lifted? Most teens don’t even know how to do simple financial tasks, like how to create a budget, how interest rates work or how to fill out a money order. According to industry experts, there is no end in sight to the financial dilemma that has and continues to plague countless youngsters from all walks of life. These issues are sadly a part of everyday life, and will even be there for generations to come.