Schoolchildren missing out on good sleep, charity warns
12/04/2010
More than half of all schoolchildren are regularly missing out on a good night''s sleep, a charity has claimed.
While most youngsters are now only too aware of the health implications of drugs and alcohol, relatively few realise the effect poor sleep quality can have on their lives, Sleep Scotland has stated.
In particular, as well as making them feel groggy, getting less than the recommended nine hours sleep a night can cause them to fall back on their schoolwork or even fall ill.
Notably, speaking to the Independent, the charity has found that TVs and games consoles in bedrooms are often to blame for children not getting enough sleep, with Sleep Scotland''s chief Nikki Cameron warning that more needs to be done to address the problem.
"You have to take the message about lack of sleep as seriously as other dangerous habits," she advised children of all ages.
Just last month, a study carried out by Silentnight found that around half of all children in the UK have never been read a bedtime story, while 12 per cent will regularly doze off to a DVD.
Posted by Michael Ewing
