Children in Greater Manchester losing 570 hours sleep during school year
Sleep deprivation is affecting the performance of children in the classroom.
A new sleep study has revealed that the average child in Greater Manchester is getting three hours less sleep than they should every night.
Most report sleeping for eight hours, rather than the recommended 11 hours needed to help them grow and function effectively at school - resulting in almost 80% struggling to concentrate in the classroom.
1,500 children aged between 8 to fifteen took part in the Travelodge study. Key findings revealed 45% of young Mancunians don’t follow a regular bed-time routine. On average Mancunian children are going to bed at 10:37pm on a school night.
Three quarters of those surveyed also reported that they have not been taught the importance and benefits of sleeping.
The research also revealed that seven out of ten children in Manchester are going to bed with at least one smart device such as a mobile phone or tablet. This is detrimental to the quality of sleep children are getting as electronic lights can delay the release of melatonin, disrupting the sleep cycle and making it harder to fall asleep.
A third of sneaky young Mancunians also admitted that they regularly pretend to go to sleep and wake up after their parents have gone to bed and play with their smart devices.
Dr Pat Spungin, child psychologist & family life specialist, said: “There is very little information available to parents about the importance of a good night's sleep. Parents should be concerned about the effects of sleep deprivation on their children, as lack of sleep has a negative effect on a child's mood, concentration and attention. Research also shows that children who are sleep deprived do less well academically, show more problem behaviour and have lower levels of social skills.”
The sleep study also revealed that on average children in Manchester are dreaming two to three times during the week. The most popular dreams children are having is becoming an astronaut like Tim Peake, a world class footballer like David Beckham, an entrepreneur like Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg and a TV personality such as Dermot O'Leary or Kim Kardashian.