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A new study finds that one in seven elementary school children in the U.S. is not getting enough sleep – and that their parents are unaware that this is the case.
Children get between nine and 12 hours each night from the ages of six to 12. guidelines From the American Academy of Pediatrics.
However, research from Brown University found that 14 percent More than 100 Rhode Island children, between the ages of six and 10, were not getting the amount they needed to stay healthy.
“What parents often don’t notice is how long it takes children to fall asleep or how often they wake up,” says Diana Grigsby-Toussaint, an associate professor in the university’s School of Public Health. Explained,
And the problem is not just in the Northeast.

The findings build on research showing similar trends across the country, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Reporting One-third of children and teens, between the ages of four months and 14 years, did not get enough sleep from 2020 to 2021. They lived in the southern states that were worst affected.
Sleep is important for children during these ages, helping their young brains develop and supporting mental health.
Not getting enough sleep is linked to behavioral issues, a weakened immune system, depression and anxiety, problems with impulse control, memory loss, lack of attention and having trouble in school, Mayo Clinic.
“Insufficient sleep also increases the risk of accidents, injuries, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and depression,” The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says,
But researchers found that babies were awake for an average of 38 minutes longer each night.
Studying children’s sleep patterns using monitors they wore on their wrists, epidemiologists tracked when the children went to bed, how long it took them to fall asleep, how often they woke up, and how much time was actually spent sleeping.
Parents together tracked their children’s habits, filled out surveys and sleep diaries.
On average, kids got about eight hours and 20 minutes each night.
Yet, when asked how much sleep their children got and how long their children were awake at night, parents were way off.
They said their babies slept more than 9.5 hours, waking for less than five minutes at night, and 83 percent believed their baby was sleeping the recommended amount.
The researchers said there were few racial differences, with non-Latino children getting half an hour more sleep per night than Latino children. Just 4.4 percent of Latino children in the study met the guidelines.
This may be more common in Latino homes due to cultural factors, such as co-sleeping and later bedtimes, he theorized.

Ultimately, Grigsby-Toussaint says that while their findings determine that doctors need to improve how they talk with parents about sleep, the steps to improve children’s sleep health are often quite simple.
, statement,
making sure Children stick to consistent bedtime routines And schedules can help them get more shut-eye by signaling to their bodies when it’s time to wind down.
so does Limiting screen use before bedLight stimulates the part of the brain designed to keep us awake, according to Sutter Health,
“You don’t need that phone in your bedroom when you’re sleeping. Period. End of story. Mic drop. We’re done,” said San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge. cnbc,