Health
Grades go down as kids sleep less
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 28, 2008
Research shows that children and teens are not getting enough sleep and that their grades are negatively impacted as a result, according to information from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Over the past decade, young people have been going to bed later and sleeping less, reports the AASM.
The association's guidelines recommend that teens get nine hours of sleep each night and that they try to wind down and relax before bedtime, which means putting aside the video games and computer earlier. Teens need more sleep than adults because their circadian rhythm is easily disrupted, said William Kohler, MD, medical director of the Florida Sleep Institute and director of pediatric sleep services at University Community Hospital in Tampa.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/01/28/hlbf0128.htm.