Welcome to Insomnia and Sleeplessness

Children also suffer from sleep deprivation.  What methods do you think your teenages and adolescents use to help them to sleep?  Well there is a research conducted in 7th and 10th grade children of 15 schools, participated by 2546 students.  

60.2% -used music to fall asleep

50%-read books to fall asleep

36.7%-watching TV to help fall asleep

22%-played computer games as sleeping aid

The interesting conclusion is:  Using media as a sleep aid appears to be common practice among adolescents.  Those who use media like music and television or those who use computer games as a sleeing aid found to sleep fewer hours and more significanctly more daytime tiredness.   However, the book readers seem to have less negative effects following days. 

 Therefore, if young people have difficulty sleeping, this study suggests they are safer reading a book than watching TV or listening to music or playing computer games before bedtime. 

In long term, sleep disturbance may manifest.  This will often lead to increased symptoms of depression as much as depression could lead to poor sleep.

Many adolescents did not think they needed the 8-9 hours of sleep they actually required each night.  Young people who have sleep disturbances are far more likely to have poor academic performance.

 So, we as parents should make sure our children have enough sleep, and more encouraging them to read books before bedtime instead of using media or using computer games. 

[source:Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, July.  Vol. 43, P428]