Electronic media
may be keeping your kids from getting enough sleep. No,
I'm not suggesting that the TV networks air more scenes
of popular characters snoozing in their beds. And I'm not
claiming that computers are turning themselves on in the
middle of the night and beckoning children like something
out of a bad horror movie. I'm talking about how we, as
parents, need to monitor media so that it doesn't interfere
with a good night's rest.
The fact is, sleep deprivation is a big problem. New research
shows that kids who do not get enough sleep are more likely
to get into accidents, less likely to do well in school
and more prone to confusing mood shifts. One study by a
researcher in Israel showed that just one extra hour of
sleep can have a positive effect on school performance.
How much sleep is enough? While adults only need seven and
a half to eight hours of sleep each night, small children
need about ten hours. This may come as a surprise, but it
turns out adolescents need about nine and a half hours.
Adolescents have a tendency to stay up as late as adults,
but they actually need more sleep. The problem is, too many
of our children and adolescents aren't getting the hours
they need. According to the National Center on Sleep Disorders
Research, as a third of all children are sleep deprived.
So what's the media connection? Well, it's a matter of the
role we let media play in our lives. TV, video games, and
the Internet are seen as quiet, wholesome evening pastimes
in many families. But even though they don't require any
movement from the audience, they are too stimulating for
children who need to settle into bedtime.
Everyone can think of kids they know who have trouble falling
asleep. The arousal that media creates doesn't make winding
down any easier on them. TVs in bedrooms, late- night video
game battles, and hours in chat rooms stimulate children,
so parents need to do their kids a favor and cut off the
media an hour or two before bedtime. The sandman is more
likely to arrive on time after quiet reading, a warm bath,
or a soothing conversation.
Don't get me wrong. I have my favorite shows in prime time
too. If you want to watch a good program as a family, by
all means, make it a weekly tradition. But in order give
your kids the best chance at a good night's rest, make sure
they have some time to wind down after the program. If the
show comes on too late, you can tape it, and watch it at
an earlier hour the next night.
David Walsh, Ph.D. is the founder of the
MediaWise Movement, a program of National Institute on Media
and the Family (www.mediafamily.org).
He has written seven books and is a frequent guest on national
radio and television.
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