The Scoop on Sleepy Kids

A recent article in Parents magazine sheds light on the seriousness of sleep deprivation in children. The article details common signs of sleep deprivation, how lack of sleep can affect children’s performance in all areas of life, and what parents can do to get their children back on track. In conjunction with Jodi Mindell, PhD, Associate Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and other sleep researchers, the article details how sleep impacts kids’ daily life:

• Tired children get hurt more often
• Sleepy kids get sick more
• Fatigue is stressful
• A child needs a good night's sleep to grow
• Sufficient sleep may cut a kid's risk of diabetes and obesity
• Sound sleepers get better grades
• Tired kids are crabby kids
• When kids don't sleep well, parents don't either

According to the 2004 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll, on average America’s children in all ages groups aren’t getting enough sleep. Additionally, the poll found that 52% of physicians don’t ask about children’s sleep habits, even though 69% of parents report that their children have sleep-related problems.

-- National Sleep Foundation