Every day in our nurseries and schools we have to cope with children who are sleepy, cannot concentrate, have problems relating to others, or are disobedient, hyperactive or aggressive. Sleep deprivation is thought to be one of the main reasons.
Researchers believe that modern lifestyles are responsible for two-thirds of children in the UK not getting enough sleep. By the age of seven some children will have missed out on 4,500 hours of their recommended sleep levels. Professor Jim Horne of Lough- borough Sleep Research Centre says that sleep-deprived children may show no obvious signs of fatigue, yet become hyperactive and irritable. He argues, 'Bedrooms are changing from places of rest and tranquillity to places where there are lots of things to keep a child awake, such as computers and televisions.'
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