Sleep and Exercise Among Incarcerated Youth: Establishing a Generalized Approach to Improve Sleep Quality/Quantity for Adolescents in the Juvenile Justice System

Abstract

Research Question: Does increased exercise result in improved sleep among incarcerated adolescents compared to those with minimal daily exercise? Background, Significance, Rationale: Justice-involved youth in the United States represent a huge, vulnerable population that is largely overlooked by the public and susceptible to a disproportionate amount of poor health outcomes. Sleep plays a major role in adolescent health and complaints of poor sleep quality and quantity are common among this population of incarcerated adolescents. As individualized treatment plans are more difficult to apply in such a setting, the need for generalized and easy to implement approaches to improve sleep is apparent in this community.

Materials and Methods: This study enrolled 13 incarcerated adolescents (males, age 14-18) from the Lake Granbury Youth Services Right of Passage Juvenile Detention Center (ROP). Participants were randomly assigned to either increase their daily aerobic exercise or continue with their current routine. Activity levels and quality/quantity of sleep were measure over several weeks with the wearable Fitbit tracking devices.

Results: A clear, though weak, positive correlation was found between the participant’s average daily activity levels and the quality and quantity of their sleep.

Conclusion: Establishing this correlation between exercise and sleep among this population has shown that such generalized exercise plans in an institution like ROP can be an important first step in improving the well-being of individuals in this population.