Almost a third of young people experience sleeping difficulties, according to a new study – a proportion that researchers say has increased from around a quarter in just four years.
A study of school-age children, carried out in 2018, found that 35 per cent reported suffering multiple health complaints weekly through sleeping difficulties, with feeling nervous and irritable among the most common.
Sleep problems among adolescents have been linked in other studies to electronic devices and social media.
The new 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study found that more than nine in 10 (92 per cent) of 15-year-olds kept their smartphones in their bedroom at night, and nearly all (95 per cent) of young people surveyed said they owned a smartphone with an internet connection.
New challenges such as social media are increasingly impacting on how young people live their lives and these can have a significant impact on their wellbeing.
The declines in mental health and increase in sleep difficulties are concerning.
“There’s been a small but steady increase in the proportion of girls taking part in physical activity in their free time, but, overall, levels are still very low and screen time has been increasing at a much faster rate.”
Take some time away from the screens and try out some relaxation and mindfulness.
Click here for a family relaxation routine.
