A new and rather shocking study was released this month by the journal of Child Development, that suggests that poor children are more vulnerable to the effects of bad sleep than their peers. The researchers of this study looked at children’s responses to the effects of poor sleep at both the third grade and fifth grade levels, across varying socioeconomic levels.

The results showed that children in lower class families tended to have higher levels of externalizing and internalizing the effects of their lack of sleep. The externalizing generally resulted in aggression and delinquency, while the internalizing symptoms resulted in depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The research also showed that when these same children slept well, their side effects were comparable to those of their peers.

The researchers’ comments on this finding? “The significance of children’s sleep to their development is receiving increased attention,” according to Mona El-Sheikh, Alumni Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Auburn University and the study’s lead author. “Our findings can inform intervention programs as well as parent education programs. Programs that are tailored to families’ resources and challenges are likely to be more effective.”