2023-12-20 23:03:33
Insomnia in children is on the rise worldwide.
Causes include decreased activity, digital devices, genetic mutation, frequent napping, etc.
The safety of long-term use of the sleep aid ‘melatonin’ by children is unclear.
Insomnia caused by anxiety and stress is not exclusive to adults. Insomnia in children, which is on the rise worldwide, requires caution as it can lead not only to growth and development and immunity, but also to depression and learning and behavioral disorders.
Exhausted child (photo to help you understand the article) / Source – Freepick
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service’s 2021 statistics, the number of insomnia patients in children aged 0 to 9 increased by 58.1% from the previous year to 244, and increased by 7.4% in the first half of the previous year. However, if undisclosed patients are added, the potential number is expected to be much higher.
On the 14th, the American news channel HuffPost cited decreased physical activity, increased use of screens such as smart devices, genetic variation, and parents’ parenting attitudes as reasons for the increase in insomnia in children.
The biggest causes are decreased physical activity and increased screen use.
A study published in the European Journal of Public Health in July found that students who walked or cycled to school or engaged in leisure-time physical activity for four to six hours per week had 86% higher academic achievement and academic skills than those who did not. Additionally, the likelihood of experiencing ‘school fatigue’, where students become overwhelmed by the amount of schoolwork or lose interest, was reduced by almost 50%.
In addition, the cause of childhood insomnia, which is ranked as the number one cause, is ‘increased use of screens’ such as looking at smartphones or watching TV before going to sleep.
The JAMA Network, published by the American Medical Association, published a study of approximately 7,097 caregiver-child pairs and found that increased screen time at age 1 affected developmental delays in communication and problem solving at age 2-4. I also did it.
Screen use of smartphones or digital devices at night is known to inhibit the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Insomnia during growth can reduce growth and immunity, cause depression and anxiety, and cause ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), which can also affect learning.
Increased use of melatonin by American children
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressed concern that children in their early teens are increasingly taking the hormone melatonin to help them sleep. In many countries, including Korea, melatonin requires a prescription, but in the United States it is classified as a health supplement and is prone to abuse.
Melatonin is a body hormone that plays an important role in sleep. It increases in darkness and decreases in light, and is generally known to decrease with age. The Mayo Clinic found that melatonin supplements, which are used to improve jet lag or sleep rhythm, may shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, but the effect on sleep quality and sleep duration is not clear.
“We cannot say that melatonin is necessarily harmful to children, but more research needs to be done to be sure that it is safe for long-term use,” a sleep researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder warned.
In addition, genetic mutations related to adult insomnia also affected childhood insomnia, and frequent, inefficient napping was also cited as a problem. Frequent napping can disrupt nighttime sleep, and children tend to have lower vocabulary and cognitive abilities.
It is necessary to maintain sleep hygiene, create a sleep mode, and observe children.
The U.S. National Sleep Foundation’s recommended sleep time by age is △Newborns 14-17 hours △Infants 12-15 hours △Toddlers 11-14 hours △Preschoolers 10-13 hours △School-age children 9-11 hours △Adolescents 8-10 hours △Adults 7 to 9 hours △7 to 8 hours for the elderly.
Experts say that the sleep hygiene that should be maintained to prevent insomnia in children is ▲ Separation of living and sleeping spaces ▲ Maintaining consistent bedtime and waking times ▲ Limiting caffeine intake ▲ Regular exercise ▲ Limiting screen use to 1 hour before bedtime ▲ If you cannot fall asleep for more than 10 minutes It was recommended to get out of the sleeping area and engage in quiet activities such as listening to music or reading.
In particular, it is necessary to prepare the entire family for bed according to the sleep time and make the environment dark and quiet to encourage the child to sleep. Children may be poor at expressing themselves, so parents may be delayed in recognizing the condition, so if it does not improve even after observing sleep hygiene, it is important to see a specialist and receive early treatment.
Chemical News reporter Park Chan-seo
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