Most American children are deprived of adequate sleep, a latest study by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) shows.
Blaming the gadgets and electronic devices that have the constant attention of kids, researchers stated that children slept way less than the recommended time.
For the study, the researchers interviewed more than 1,100 parents and told them to estimate the possible number of hours their children might be getting sleep. The researchers considered children aged between 6 and 17 for the analysis.
The children were divided into four age groups viz; six to 10, 11 to 12, 13 to 14 and 15 to 17.
The study results showed that on average children received lesser sleep than the recommended time of 10 to 8.5 hours every night. Those in the group between the ages six to 10 mostly slept for just an average of 8.9 hours, while the 11 to 12 and 13 to 14 age groups only received 8.2 and 7.7 hours of sleep, respectively, as opposed to the recommended 8.5 hours 15 to 17 years old only got an average of 7.1 hours a night.
The researchers said that the over usage of electronic gadgets led to depravity of sleep in the children. The results showed that nearly 72 percent of the children had at least one kind of electronic device in their bedrooms including television and video games.
The authors stated that those with gadgets in their bedrooms slept an average of half an hour less compared to children without any electronic device in their bedrooms..
"If you look at these gadgets within an hour of bedtime, what happens is melatonin - the brain hormone that puts you to sleep - has been suppressed for the last hour," said Sleep expert, James Maas, reports Today. "Now, it's going to take you much longer to go to sleep."
The researchers advised the parents to make their children follow some rules for using the gadgets such as limiting the usage of the devices in the night. "A good first step in setting and enforcing sleep-related rules is to establish bedtimes," researcher Jim Spilsbury, Ph.D., MPH, said in a statement, reports the Huffington Post. The authors suggested that parents should also consider limiting the intake of sleep-disrupting caffeinated drinks or TV shows.
