Hitting the bed early and a proper good night's sleep can reduce instances of depression and suicidal thoughts in teenagers, according to a new study.

The study was published in the journal Sleep, in the January 1 issue. Adolescents who go off to sleep earlier, set by their parents are less likely to suffer from depression and entertain suicidal thoughts.

Earlier bedtimes increases the sleep duration and helps in getting enough sleep.  Reports and cases of teenage depression and subsequent suicides are increasing day by day.

Two suicide reports of teenage suicides, one of Eknath Patil found hanging in the school restroom and the other of, eleven-year-old Neha Sawant, who was stopped from participating in a reality dance show on television by her parents. While stress is counted as the major factor which may lead the child to a stage of acute depression, it is better to identify the reasons first and take steps towards to resolving them.

Stress in a adolescent's life may be due to various factors such as academics, relationship, increasing parental aspirations, obsessive preoccupation with looks mainly due to peer pressure. All these lead to depressions, mood swings and also suicidal thoughts. Depression results in weight loss, nutritional deficiency and insufficient sleep. Insufficient sleep may trigger mood disorders which can have an adverse effect on the mental health of the child.

According to the research results, teenagers who sleep by midnight or later are 24 percent more susceptible to depression and 20 percent more likely to go through suicidal behaviors than adolescents whose parental bedtime is set at 10 pm or earlier. This helps them get enough sleep, complete the normal sleep hours of eight-to-nine hours. Adequate sleep hours can act as a preventive measure against depression and can also help treat this mental disorder.