US full of sleepy school kids

American schools are full of sleepy fifth-grade students too tired to learn because of lost sleep due to fights with parents over bedtimes or staying up late to watch television, says a new study from Ball State University.

According to News Wise, a survey of 199 fifth graders found that the majority of students regularly experience sleep loss and feel sleepy during the day at least two-to-four times weekly.

“Sleep affects the health of children and plays a role in preventing disease, stability of mood and the ability to learn. Elementary school-aged children require an average of 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night,” said Denise Amschler, a professor of physiology and health science.

The study observed that 48 per cent of the students admitted to arguing with their parents at least twice every week about when they should go to bed, 31.7 percent indicated staying up late two-to-four times per week without their parents’ permission and 30.2 percent said they were staying up late five-to-seven nights per week when their parents thought they were asleep.

“The presence of televisions and computers in children’s bedrooms may play a key role in their decreased sleep time and subsequent daytime fatigue,” Amschler said. — ANI