March 7, 2008, Newsletter Issue #161: Sleep Statistics in Children and a New Program Designed to Help

Tip of the Week

The 2006 Sleep in America Poll discovered that just one in five adolescents get the nine hours of sleep they need on school nights. In fact, 45 percent of them sleep less than eight hours on school nights. Furthermore, over the course of a week, the average high school senior misses 12 hours of sleep.

Here is how our kids are sleeping, according to that study. You may be surprised at some of the results.

- More than half of adolescents report feeling tired and sleepy during the day.
- At least one day a week, one quarter of high school students actually fall asleep at school.
- Among adolescents who say they're unhappy, 73 percent of them aren't getting enough sleep.
- Fifteen percent of high schoolers between sophomore and senior year report driving drowsy at least once a week.
- Nine out of 10 parents believe their child is getting enough sleep most of the week, which means there is a miscommunication in the home over sleep.

The National Sleep Foundation has launched a program to help educate kids about sleep. The foundation is hoping the awareness week will motivate parents and educators to invite a sleep specialist from their community into schools to educate parents, teachers and students about sleep and common child sleep disorders.

The program is called "Adopt A School ... For Sleep Education." This program brings sleep specialists into schools to educate about sleep. The forum can be set up for an entire school assembly, an entire grade, or just one class.

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