Studies show that insufficient sleep could cause children psychological harm, a psychologist said, urging parents to monitor how much their children sleep.
The findings were reported in two recent studies, one published by scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry and the other by JAMA Network Open, Kaohsiung Drug Abuser Treatment Center clinical psychologist Ko Chun-ming (柯俊銘) said.
In the Molecular Psychiatry report, University of Warwick researcher Edmund Rolls and his team analyzed the sleeping patterns of 11,000 children aged nine to 11, comparing those who slept less than seven hours per night with those who slept nine to 11 hours per night, Ko said.
“Our findings showed that the behavior problems total score for children with less than seven hours sleep was 53 percent higher on average and the cognitive total score was 7.8 percent lower on average than for children with nine to 11 hours of sleep,” University of Warwick professor Jianfeng Feng said in a news release.
The two studies showed that the less sleep children have, the more likely they were to exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety, to act impulsively, and to have poor academic performance, Ko said.
Data from nuclear magnetic resonance scans cited in the studies showed that frontal and temporal lobe capacity was reduced in children who had insufficient sleep, he said.
In one long-term study involving 800 children conducted by Norwegian University of Science and Technology researcher Bror Ranum, participants wore bracelets at night for a week to measure their actual sleep time, and participated in follow-up interviews to assess their psychological health, Ko said.
The process was repeated numerous times over the several-year study, he added.
“The results of that study showed a clear correlation between insufficient sleep and problems with emotional and behavioral development in children,” he said.
Children in that study who had insufficient sleep over a long period went on to develop an inability to stay focused that was worse than in children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, he said.
They also showed a high risk of developing depression, anxiety and other emotional problems, he added.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nine to 12 hours of sleep per night for children, but this is rarely met given children’s involvement in classes, sports and other social activities, and excessive use of mobile devices, Ko said.
Parents should help children develop healthy sleep habits, and prevent them from exercising or using electronic devices within an hour of bedtime, he said.
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