advice
I
n the past five years, it seems every
child between eight and 18 has
become the proud new owner of
a shiny handheld digital device. At
the same time, the number of children
and young adults seeking help for sleep
disorders is soaring. Hong Kong sleep
consultant Deborah Taylor says the
connection is clear.
“The digital age has made a massive
negative impact on sleep,” Deborah
says. “Young people are spending their
evening hours looking close-range at
screens which emit an intense bright light,
and that’s affecting the production of
the natural sleep hormone melatonin.”
When melatonin is suppressed, the
body won’t calm down enough for the
sleep rhythm to kick in, and the body will
remain activated. “Teens will be chatting
to friends on social media one minute,
and the next they are lying in bed
wondering why they can’t fall asleep,”
says Deborah. “And it’s not just older kids;
I’ve had parents telling me their toddler
won’t sleep after they’ve just been read a
bedtime story on a tablet.”
Other societal factors are also to
blame. Many kids and teens are no
longer doing enough physical activity
during the day; if there’s not enough
energy output, the body won’t feel tired
at night. There are also more drinks and
foods available which contain sugar and
caffeine – a sure-fire way to keep the
body alert and awake.
Lasting effects
The Women’s and Children’s Health
Network of Adelaide performed a
study on ten-year-old girls to look at the
difference in reaction time and mental
lapses during simple tests after their sleep
time had been reduced.
Researcher Dr Jacqueline Peters says
the results showed significant impaired
functioning, with slower reaction times
and increased lapses when the kids
had received less sleep. “This would
indicate that children are likely to suffer
academically and emotionally when
sleep-deprived,” she says. “Of course, it’s
not across the board, but generally, yes,”
she says, kids are similarly affected.
Changing bad habits
Experts agree that any age is a good
age to establish a pre-bedtime ritual – so
it’s never too late to start. Introduce some
digital house rules and slumber-inducing
activities to optimise the chances of a
good night’s sleep.
Slumber’s up
Growing numbers of young people are suffering sleep
problems that are seriously hampering academic
performance and emotional stability. Experts warn digital
technology is partly to blame.
Katrina Shute
reports.
• Have your kids turn off and remove any
tablets, smartphones, video games
and laptops from their bedroom at
least one hour before bedtime.
• Remove from the socket any chargers
or other electrical devices that emit
light, and invest in blackout blinds. The
darker the room, the better the sleep.
• Serve dinner at least three hours
before going to bed, and avoid foods
with caffeine and sugar, including
chocolate, fizzy drinks, fruit juice and
ice cream.
• Encourage kids to take a shower, read
or listen to music to wind down.
• If something is on your child’s mind,
encourage them to talk about it and
resolve it earlier in the day, rather than
mulling it over in bed.
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