It’s easy to let your kids stay up late in the summer, but is it worth it for the bad habits to come" Georgina Blaskey finds out
While we love the long days this time of year, it can play havoc with children?s body clocks. When they?re babies, we?re obsessed with their sleep times and how much shut-eye they?re getting. But as they grow up this can change for all kinds of reasons ? it?s such a joy to see them running around in the garden in their pyjamas until dusk, or staying up late to see a working parent, not to mention sleepovers with friends or overnight visits with grandparents. But if those late nights become too regular, the knock-on effect can be hugely detrimental.
Hospital attendances in England for children under 14 with sleep disorders have tripled in 10 years, according to NHS data. Ten times more prescriptions of common sleep medication melatonin have also been written for children and adults under 55 over the same period. According to a BBC report, poor sleep in children has been linked to a greater risk of obesity ? it is thought to upset the balance of the hormones that tell our brains we are full or hungry, making it harder to control appetite; on top of that, when we?re tired, we are more likely to crave foods high in sugar and fat. Sleep deprivation can also lower immunity and is even linked to mental health issues. It can also be responsible for lack of emotional control and poor performance at school. So how much is enough" And how c...