What kids' lack of sleep and exercise is doing to them
Sister duo Chloe X Halle sings this: "Everything is new 'cause we about that innovation/Call it how we see it, we a genius generation/We all, we all, we all right/ The kids are all right!" Really? Those singing that anthem for the digital age might want to consider the findings of a new study: It seems the digital obsession that's overtaken their up-and-coming fan base is dumbing those kids down. The kids are not all right.
An observational study of 4,500 American children, ages 8-11, published in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health found that only 5 percent of kids meet recommendations to ensure good cognitive development: less than two hours of recreational screen time and at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, plus 9-11 hours of sleep nightly.
Sixty percent of kids those ages spend too much time on screens. The average was 3.6 hours a day. So it's no surprise that just 51 percent of them get enough sleep (they're online in bed) and only 18 percent meet the guideline for physical activity (again, staring at a screen). That, say the researchers, reduces cognitive development, academic performance, reaction time, attention and memory.
Here are a couple of ways to help your kids to be all right:
- Plan daily family walks and outings; get them participating in organized sports.
- Take digital devices (including computers) out of the bedroom at bedtime. That'll help ensure 9-11 hours of sleep so they'll get up fresh for school.
Then the kids will be all right - and bright!
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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