Teenagers who go to bed early and sleep longer have sharper brains, study finds

Teenagers who go to bed earlier and sleep longer tend to have sharper mental skills and perform better on cognitive tests than their peers. A study of over 3,000 adolescents found that those with the earliest bedtime, longest sleep duration, and lowest heart rates performed best in areas like reading and problem-solving, even if they slept fewer hours than recommended (8-10 hours per night). Experts suggest regular exercise to aid sleep and avoiding late-night screen time as practical ways to improve mental performance.