As adolescents around the world fall into later bedtimes, a growing amount of evidence indicates that this seemingly harmless habit might be more than a phase. In a recent study presented at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), teens who self-identify as "night owls" might be biologically wired for impulsive and even self-sabotaging behaviors—posting concern about teen mental health, sleep habits, and larger lifestyle risks.

Teenagers who enjoy staying up late and waking up late have a greater propensity for impulsiveness, especially when they are feeling bad, the research discovered. Conducted by Riya Mirchandaney, a doctoral student in clinical-health psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, the two studies involved 210 teens. Participants filled out questionnaires on sleep patterns, wore wrist monitors for a week, gave saliva samples to assess melatonin levels, and took tests of impulsivity.

Surprisingly, the research contradicts long-held beliefs regarding melatonin and circadian rhythm. Researchers did not detect a clear relationship between dim light melatonin onset—a standard marker of the body's internal clock—and impulsivity. Rather, the adolescents' self-stated tendency to want to stay up late was more closely linked to actions such as quitting tough tasks prematurely or acting aggressively when upset.

"Surprisingly, we didn't discover a strong association between dim light melatonin onset and impulsivity in our sample," Mirchandaney said. "This implies that there could be unmeasured psychological or behavior factors affecting both impulsivity and self-report circadian preference."

The consequences of these findings extend far beyond morning grumpiness and mood swings. Sleep is absolutely central to adolescent brain development, physical health, and emotional well-being. When teenagers fail to get the nightly 8–10 hours recommended for them, the radiating effects can reach into every aspect of their lives—crash through the classroom, directly into the emergency room.

Studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have emphasized over a long time now that adolescents who sleep fewer hours than they need are more likely to be involved in risky behaviors like drug use, unprotected sex, irresponsible driving, and even physical aggression. Sleep deprivation also impacts the prefrontal cortex—the area of the brain used for judgment and impulse control—meaning teenagers will be more likely to take risks without regard to consequences.

Why Are Teenagers Sleeping Late?

The move to the night owl timetable during adolescence is not solely a matter of behavior—it is also biological. As adolescents move into puberty, their circadian rhythms gradually change. Melatonin, the sleep-promoting hormone, starts to release later at night, so teens find it hard to go to bed early, even if they attempt to.

This internal adjustment conflicts with inflexible school bell times, usually having children get up between 6 and 7 a.m., much earlier than their body clock is geared for. This repeated misalignment over time results in what sleep researchers refer to as "social jetlag," a state that has been associated with heightened stress, depression, anxiety, and now, possibly, impulsivity.

There is well-documented, bidirectional association between sleep disturbances and mental illness. Adolescent poor sleepers are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Conversely, individuals with mental health difficulties tend to have more difficulty falling asleep and remaining asleep.

This cycle can form a deadly feedback loop: emotional turmoil creates sleep deprivation, which further worsens mental well-being. With impulsivity introduced into the mix, the concern becomes more profound. Impulsive choices made during periods of emotional unpredictability—most notably with the compounding effect of sleep loss—can have life-changing ramifications.

Physical Development and Risk of Chronic Illness

Sleep is necessary for the regulation of hormones, immune systems, muscle repair, and overall development—all vital in the teen years. Inadequate sleep has been associated with greater risk of chronic disease development, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. The metabolic pattern of sleep-deprived adolescents, such as increased blood pressure and cholesterol levels, resembles that of adults headed toward chronic disease.

Are Teens Really Getting Enough Sleep?

The short answer: no. According to the CDC, approximately 70% of high school students in the United States do not get enough sleep on school nights. The numbers are even more troubling for girls, older teens, and students from Black, Asian, or multiracial backgrounds.

A combination of early school schedules, excessive academic and extracurricular demands, and digital device usage—often past midnight—makes consistent, high-quality sleep an elusive goal for most adolescents.

Role of Technology and Lifestyle Choices

Teenagers in the present day are more plugged in than ever. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops are frequently a never-ending companion—even in bed. The blue light from screens disrupts melatonin production, making sleep even later. Sleep cycles are disrupted by alerts and notifications, and the mental stimulation of social media can leave teenagers emotionally engaged well past bedtime.

At the same time, the pressure of balancing school, sports, a part-time job, and social life only fuels the fire. Teens often end up losing sleep in order to fulfill all their responsibilities without being aware of the mental and emotional impact that this has.

Begin with Awareness: Parents need to sit down with teens on a regular basis and discuss their sleeping patterns and changes in mood, concentration, or risky behavior.

Encourage Good Sleep Hygiene: Encourage regular sleep patterns, bedtime routines, bedroom screens-off, and soothing nighttime environments.

Support Policy Reform: Some research has demonstrated that later school start times enhance attendance, student performance, and lower teen automobile crashes. Parents can collaborate with school boards to advocate for healthier schedules.

Manage Expectations and Time: Assist teens in setting priorities and ensuring they're not too scheduled. A balanced life provides space for sleep.

Professional Help: If sleep disturbances are impacting a teenager's daily life, see a pediatrician or sleep specialist. Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been promising in helping adolescents re-establish sleep habits.

The new revelations regarding night owls and impulsivity are just another piece of the puzzle for understanding adolescent sleep. It's not how many hours teens get to sleep that matters—it's when and under what conditions that they sleep.

On No Smoking Day, we drive our focus to science-backed methods that can help one leave smoking. Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide. It also contributed to severe health problems, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases. Even though many people are aware of this harmful consequences, many struggle to quit smoking. Mostly because it is a habit often associated to enjoying a break. Even when someone does not need it, their brain tricks them into believing that smoke is important for the break they are meant to enjoy.

However, there are several studies that have explored science-backed methods that could help one to quit smoke.

A study published in the journal Addiction, emphasizes three primary methods proven effective for quitting smoking: behavioral support, prescription medications, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). These strategies have shown varying levels of success in aiding smokers to quit permanently. In addition, alternative methods like e-cigarettes and mindfulness-based techniques have gained traction in helping reduce smoking addiction.

Quitting smoking is more than just a decision; it’s a commitment to significantly improving your health and well-being. Smoking has been directly linked to various cancers, lung diseases, and heart conditions. In the long term, stopping smoking can lower your risk of these life-threatening conditions.

According to the study, individuals looking to quit smoking should consider using Varenicline (sold as Chantix/Champix), Cytisine (a plant-based supplement available in Europe and Canada), or nicotine e-cigarettes.

“Quitting smoking is difficult, and some people find it harder to quit than others, but tobacco is uniquely deadly among legal consumer products, so it’s important to seek help quitting,” said lead investigator Jonathan Livingstone-Banks, a lecturer and researcher in evidence-based health care with the University of Oxford in the U.K.

Read: Does Smoking Affect Women Differently Than Men?

What Happens When You Stop Smoking?

• In just 20 minutes of stopping, your blood pressure and heart rate begin to normalize.
• Within a few weeks, your lung function improves.
• Over time, the risk of heart disease and cancer also decreases dramatically.

Three Science-backed Methods That Could Help You Quit Smoking

Behavioral Support

Quitting smoking isn’t just about resisting cravings. Often, behavioral support through counseling or therapy is crucial for tackling the psychological aspects of addiction. Behavioral therapy involves working with a trained professional to identify triggers, develop coping strategies, and create a tailored quit plan. Research shows that combining counseling with other quit methods can significantly increase success rates.

Prescription Medications

Some medications, such as varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban), have been shown to help people quit smoking by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Experts suggest that varenicline works by blocking the effects of nicotine in the brain, while bupropion is an antidepressant that helps manage withdrawal symptoms. Both medications are generally more effective when combined with behavioral therapy.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

Nicotine replacement products, such as nicotine patches, gums, lozenges, and nasal sprays, deliver controlled amounts of nicotine to ease withdrawal symptoms. According to experts at Harvard Health, NRT can double the chances of quitting by alleviating physical cravings while the person works on overcoming the psychological addiction.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously called fatty liver disease, is becoming extremely common in people with type 2 diabetes in India.

Studies suggest that 50–70 percent of Indians with type 2 diabetes may have fatty liver, and a significant proportion can progress to inflammation, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, or even liver cancer if the condition is not detected early. Because India already has one of the world’s largest populations with diabetes, MASLD is emerging as a major but under-recognized public health problem.

The recently published consensus guidelines developed by Indian experts aim to provide practical, India-specific recommendations for diagnosing and managing MASLD in people with type 2 diabetes.

In fact, these are the first global guidelines for MASLD and type 2 diabetes, albeit restricted to India. This matters because most existing international guidance—including from organizations such as the American Diabetes Association—is largely based on evidence and healthcare systems in high-income Western countries. These recommendations often assume easy access to expensive diagnostic tests and medications, which may not always be feasible in India.

In India, healthcare costs are frequently paid out-of-pocket by patients. Advanced imaging tests or newer medications can therefore be unaffordable for many people.

The Indian consensus addresses this reality by recommending step-wise and cost-effective screening strategies, beginning with simple clinical risk assessment and basic laboratory tests, followed by non-invasive fibrosis scoring tools and ultrasound when appropriate. This approach helps identify high-risk individuals without overburdening patients or the healthcare system.

Another important reason these guidelines matter is that Asian Indians have a unique metabolic profile. Compared with Western populations, Indians often develop diabetes and fatty liver at younger ages and lower body weight, partly because of higher abdominal fat and insulin resistance. Therefore, early screening for liver disease in people with diabetes becomes particularly important in India.

Dietary recommendations are also adapted to local eating patterns. Instead of focusing on Western dietary models, the guidelines emphasize reducing refined carbohydrates, excess sugars, and unhealthy fats common in Indian diets while promoting traditional, healthier foods, whole grains, legumes, and increased physical activity.

In simple terms, these India-specific guidelines aim to ensure that more patients with diabetes are screened early, treated appropriately, and protected from severe liver complications, using strategies that are practical, affordable, and suited to the realities of the Indian healthcare system.

How These Guidelines Differ From Those In The West

Guidelines for MASLD developed in Western countries provide important scientific guidance, but they are often designed for healthcare systems with greater resources and different patient characteristics. The Indian consensus recommendations differ in several key ways to make them more suitable for local populations and healthcare settings.

First, screening strategies are more pragmatic and cost-conscious. Western guidelines often recommend advanced imaging tests or specialized biomarkers to assess liver fat and fibrosis. However, these tests can be expensive and not widely available in many parts of India.

The Indian recommendations emphasize simple, widely available tools—such as routine blood tests and non-invasive fibrosis scoring systems—before considering more advanced imaging. This stepwise approach ensures that patients who are most at risk are identified while keeping costs manageable.

Second, the guidelines recognize the unique metabolic risk profile of Asian Indians. Compared with Western populations, Indians tend to develop metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and fatty liver at younger ages and lower body mass index (BMI). Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance are particularly common.

Therefore, the Indian recommendations stress earlier and more vigilant screening for MASLD in people with diabetes, even if they are not severely obese.

Third, treatment priorities differ because of affordability and access to medications. Western guidelines may emphasize newer and often expensive drugs that show benefits for fatty liver disease. While these therapies can be effective, they may not be accessible to many patients in low- and middle-income countries.

The Indian consensus places stronger emphasis on lifestyle interventions, weight reduction, improved diet, and physical activity as the foundation of treatment, while suggesting pharmacotherapy selectively based on evidence, availability, and cost.

Fourth, perhaps the most important difference, dietary advice is culturally tailored. Western guidelines typically discuss Mediterranean-style diets.

In contrast, the Indian recommendations translate healthy eating principles into Indian dietary patterns, focusing on reducing refined carbohydrates, sugar-sweetened foods, and excess saturated fats while promoting whole grains, pulses, vegetables, and traditional balanced meals.

Finally, the Indian document highlights the need for public health awareness and primary care involvement, since a large proportion of patients with diabetes are managed outside specialized centers.

Overall, the key difference is that while Western guidelines provide strong scientific foundations, the Indian recommendations adapt those principles to local realities.

Bristol Palin, an American real estate agent, who was a former public speaker and reality television personality started experiencing facial paralysis over a tear ago. On March 9, her 35-year-old daughter Sarah Palin posted a video on her Instagram Stories that shared an update on her ongoing health struggles. The story revealed that she is now considering plastic surgery to fix her paralysis.

"I am going to have a consultation today with a plastic surgeon in Austin," she said. "I have read that she specializes in facial paralysis type stuff so we will see what she says."

She also said, "Prayers because maybe she can help mostly with this eye," while pointing to her left eye. "When I smile or when I am expressive, it closes. I don't really care about my crooked mouth but my eye...so embarrassing to me. I feel like I should wear an eyepatch or something."

She went on to say, "It looks crazy and I just feel like I cannot even smile because it just closes. So maybe she can do some Botox or maybe there is some options with surgery. So we will see. Maybe she ca help with this eye or just the overall symmetry."

She also said that she had just returned from Alaska, where she visited another specialist who does her facial nerve blocks to help her paralysis. She also posted another update on her Instagram Stories and said that her consultation went well and that she will be sharing the information with her followers soon.

What Happened To Bristol Palin?

It was in January 2025, when she revealed her facial paralysis on Instagram. "I woke up nine days ago with a little weird sensation in my face. My mouth was pulling this way and it just felt a little off. So I went, looked in the mirror. I'm like 'Wow. This is looking a little weird. I feel like everything is pulling to the left."

She said that hours later her condition got worse and the left side of her face was having a "delayed" reaction.

Read: Why Does Your BBL Smell? Doctor Explains 4 Reasons That Could Cause It

Can Botox Fix Asymmetrical Face?

As per a 2020 study published in the Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery, botulinum toxin (Botox) injections are helpful and are minimally invasive technique to restore facial symmetry. However, the study noted that a "surprisingly small minority of aesthetic injectors treat this condition."

The study also gives a case study of a patient with longstanding facial nerve paralysis after resection of an osteogenic sarcoma, before and after two weeks after first treatment with botulinum toxin. The improvements could be seen in mentalis synkinesis, more symmetrical smile, and improved eye apertures on animation.

What Is Botox?

It is an FDA-approved, injectable neurotoxin derived from Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It temporarily relaxes muscles by blocking nerve signals, commonly used to smooth dynamic wrinkles and treat medical conditions like chronic migraines, excessive sweating, and muscle spasms. Its effects last from three to four months.

Botox prevents the release of a neurotransmitter that signals muscles to contract, causing them to relax and soften wrinkles. Results typically appear in 3 to 14 days.