According to a recent survey, children in the United States aren’t sleeping enough, and scientists are warning that it’s affecting their education. In the 2016 – 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health, 49,050 parents of children between the ages of 6 and 17 years old shared how much their child slept. Researchers compared this information with measurements known as flourishing markers, including if the child did all of their homework, whether or not they were curious about new things, if they cared about doing well in school, if they were committed to finishing tasks, and if they stayed calm and in control when faced with a challenge.
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The results showed that only 63.6% of children between 6 and 12 years old, and 68.1% of children between the ages of 13 and 17 were getting enough sleep on weeknights. Children under 12 who were not getting enough sleep were found less likely to care about school, do their homework, finish tasks and be curious about learning. Children ages 13 to 17 who were not getting enough sleep had similar issues, and in addition, they were found less likely to stay calm when faced with a challenge.
The researchers noted, “Chronic sleep loss amongst youth is a major public health crisis globally and is associated with a multitude of physical and mental health issues." They added, “This study demonstrates that insufficient sleep is associated with decreased childhood flourishing, which could have a critical role on the physical and mental health, school performance and well-being of children."
Dr. Hoi See Tsao, co-author of the study, explained, “This research reinforces the importance of increasing efforts to maximize sleep sufficiency for children including addressing digital media usage, bedtime routines and school duration and start times.”
She suggested parents establish a regular bedtime routine, have all screens off at least 30 minutes before bedtime and avoid allowing screens in children’s bedrooms to help improve sleep patterns.