How Technology is Affecting Your Children's Sleep

Our ancestors used to have lots of sleep in a day. They rose with the sun, and slept with the moon. There's nothing much one could do in the midst of total darkness back in those days when there were no electricity and light bulbs. With better sleep quality, our ancestors had enjoyed having better health, with most of them dying of old age instead of heart attack or cancer.

Today, with the invention of light bulb and other electronic devices, people are staying up late at night. This has not only affected our health, but also our next generation - children - as they face trouble sleeping.

The following article is a good read on how technology has affected children.

Article: Limit kids' technology use for better sleep: survey
Link: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/limit-kids-technology-better-sleep-survey-102521293.html

If your child is having trouble sleeping, or isn't getting the amount of sleep he or she needs, it may very well have to do with electronic devices. A new survey by the US National Sleep Foundation found American kids ages 6 through 17 aren't getting enough sleep, with almost 72 percent sleeping with at least one electronic device in their bedrooms. 

In a survey of more than 1,100 American parents, teens who slept with devices in their bedrooms were reported to get half an hour less sleep than those who didn't have devices in their rooms. 

The National Sleep Foundation recommended turning electronic devices off about an hour before bedtime following a 2011 study, as they keep the brain stimulated and suppress melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. 

Over 90 percent of parents surveyed highly valued sleep in regards to their children's school performance, health and overall happiness. However, this survey indicates parents may need to do more in terms of ensuring their children get the shut-eye they need. This includes rules about caffeinated beverages and TV shows before bedtime in addition to limited electronic device use. 

"A good first step in setting and enforcing sleep-related rules is to establish bedtimes," poll task force member Jim Spilsbury, Ph.D., MPH, said in a statement. 

The National Sleep Foundation survey also stressed that parents should be good role models for their children regarding electronic device use, as less than a quarter of children own such devices if their parents do not.

I'm definitely going to sleep earlier every day from today onwards!