Facebook: Are kids getting enough sleep? : News : ConnectMidMissouri.com

Facebook: Are kids getting enough sleep?

Posted: 09.17.2011 at 11:08 PM

Kids today are not getting enough sleep, and a new report says electronics could be to blame.

The report looked at the amount of time children spend indoors plugged into electronics and how this over-stimulation affects their sleep.

A generation ago kids spent hours outdoors playing and interacting with others.

But the National Wildlife Federation's, Kevin Coyle said the average child and teen in Missouri spends 7 to 8 hours a day on a computer or cell phone, playing video games or watching television.

Coyle said, "This has a number of implications for the kids, their health and their overall fitness levels. For a number of reasons, we think this new 'indoor child' phenomenon in American society has really affected the ability of children to get a good night's sleep."

He says on average, kids ages 8 to 18 are losing between 10 and 14 hours of sleep every week because they are over-stimulated by using electronics.

Cole suggests parents to help kids obtain more balance by making sure they're getting exercise outdoors - natural light helps promote sleep - and by trying to get youngsters unplugged from computers, cell phones and television at least an hour before bedtime.

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