American Kids, Parents Lack Sleep, Survey Finds

[Guest guest]

Might be why the population is getting shorter, as one grows when the sleep.

And kids have too much caffeine which doesn't help. n

 

American Kids, Parents Lack Sleep, Survey Finds

 

Tue Mar 30, 7:05 PM ET Add Health - Reuters to My

 

http://news./news?tmpl=story & u=/nm/20040331/hl_nm/health_sleep_dc_5

 

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most American children are not getting enough sleep

and television and caffeine are helping keep many awake at night, the

National Sleep Foundation said on Tuesday.

 

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A survey of 1,400 parents showed that many are not aware of how much sleep

their children need and may not realize that TV and caffeine can affect

their child's sleep.

 

 

" Parents are paying a price for their children's poor sleep habits, " Jodi

Mindell, a director of the foundation and associate director of the Sleep

Disorders Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told a news

conference.

 

 

" The majority of parents are being awakened at least one night a week by

their children. "

 

 

At the same time, researchers told a conference at the National Institutes

of Health (news - web sites) that Americans need guidelines on how to get

more sleep.

 

 

" The depth and breadth of sleep problems is not fully appreciated in this

country, " said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona. " Chronic sleep loss

and untreated sleep disorders have a profound impact on Americans of all

ages -- they affect 70 million Americans and cost our nation $15 billion in

health care expenses. "

 

 

Dr. Carl Hunt, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research,

said the research shows that sleep disorders are common but people do not

yet realize it.

 

 

" We need to define some better ways to get the message out to people, " Hunt

said in an interview. " It's not just a matter of 'you ought to sleep more'

but why they ought to sleep more. "

 

 

DYING TO GET SOME SLEEP

 

 

Hunt said lack of sleep can be dangerous, just like high cholesterol or high

blood pressure.

 

 

" We do know that it can kill you, " he said. " A lack of sleep has major

implications for accidents -- not only workplace accidents but highway

accidents. "

 

 

The Sleep Foundation said its survey showed 30 percent of all children aged

1 to 10 wake at least once a night and need attention, which then affects

their parents' sleep.

 

 

The poll found 26 percent of children aged 3 or older drink at least one

caffeinated beverage a day, including sodas or iced tea. Those children

slept a half-hour less each night than those who did not drink caffeine.

 

 

The survey also found many children have a television in their bedroom.

Parents said 43 percent of school-aged children had their own TV sets, as

did one third of young children aged 3 to 5 and 20 percent of infants and

toddlers.

 

 

According to the poll, children with TV sets went to sleep 20 minutes later

than those without and slept on average 9.2 hours a night compared to 9.6

hours a night -- " a loss of more than two hours of sleep a week, " the

foundation said.

 

 

The result can be cranky children who are not learning as well as they

should, the group said.

 

 

" Parents need to make sufficient sleep a family priority, " said Mindell,

adding that bedtime routines should exclude TV and include a reading a

story.

 

 

The poll found that infants aged 3 to 11 months slept only 12.7 hours a day

on average, although they need 14 to 15 hours. Toddlers aged 1 to 3 slept

11.7 hours but they need 12 to 14.

 

Preschoolers up to 5 slept 10.4 hours a night on average although they are

supposed to get 11 to 13 hours and children up to age 10 slept 9.5 hours

although they need 10 or even 11 hours a night.