Poor sleep can increase the risks of drinking habits, drug use and sexual misbehavior in teenagers, a new study suggests.

The research shows that sleep difficulties and lack of sleep is directly connected to mental and behavioral problems.

Maria M. Wrong, the main author of the report discussed the significance of sleep for adolescents. She states that parents should closely watch the sleep patterns of their child. The sleep plays an integral part in the psychological and physical health of a child.

Experts accumulated the data of nearly 6,504 adolescents from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The data were gathered from three different surveys. There were nearly 48 percent of girls and 52 percent of boys.

The chief objective of the study is to determine the connection between sleep and substance related issues. The   data indicates that the teenagers who experience sleep difficulties are more likely to develop interpersonal problems. Around 50 percent of teenagers who suffer from sleep issues turn into binge drinker in the future.

Additionally, the data shows that 14 percent of such teens drive drunk to the point of deadly accidents.

However, the researchers found that influence of peers and genetic factors can also turn teenagers into heavy drinkers.

The study is printed in Journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.