Mummy, can I sleep more hours?

Sleep deprivation among Singaporean children

Guess how many hours of sleep do Singaporean children have nightly? According to 2015 study conducted in one of the universities in Singapore, 4 out of 10 children between 6 and 9 years of age are sleep deprived. Top college students are sleeping less than 6 hours per night.

One of the research studies published in 2014 reviewed that adolescents in Hong Kong viewing electronic devices have adverse impact on their sleep. Why electronic devices are affected our sleep?

Solar emits short-wavelength visible light (blue light) in the daytime to keep us awake. Melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone allows us to sleep peacefully at night. When there is a high concentration of blue light, melatonin depletes. Hence, the electronic devices that emit blue light will keep us awake through out the night. The more we expose to the blue light after sun down, the later we are able to fall asleep.

What are the benefits of melatonin?

Feeling happy

Good quality of sleep

Good eating habit and diet

Weight control

Less risk factors of systemic diseases

Good memory

How can our children sleep better then?

Dim down brightness of electronic devices during the daytime for children viewing.

Visit your optometrist to prescribe your children blue light blocking eye glasses.

Encourage your children to read printed books.

Use yellow instead of LED for reading light.

Avoid electronic devices 2-3 hours before your children sleep.

Spend time outdoors with your children . Natural bright light boosts children to sleep at night.

Use Ortho-K lenses, children are “force” to sleep once they wear Ortho-K at night!

Be happy. Sleep well.  Author and photo source by #SG #optometrist, Chua Yee Leen.