Sleep disorders in children increase due to social media and obesity

According to the latest research, more and more kids and teens in England have sleep problems, including nightmares, sleepwalking and insomnia.

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The information comes from NHS Digital, which showed that sleep problems that only affect middle-aged and elderly people are now diagnosed, even in babies and children of old age preschool.

Sleep apnea is more and more diagnosed in children. Previously, this disorder usually affected only overweight and middle-aged individuals.

It is a respiratory problem that leads to repeated night awakenings and poor quality of sleep due to repeated obstructions of the airways.

According to a recent Press Association survey, nearly 88% of sleep apnea admissions in England since 2012/13 involved children under 16 years of age.

The numbers have slightly decreased in 2015 and 2016, but are again rising steadily, the report says. The cases of sleep apnea increased from 5,675 in 2012 and 2013 to 8,299 in 2017 and 2018.

Sleep-related admissions for children under 16 have also increased significantly over the last 10 years.

The number of diagnoses was 6,520 in 2012 and 2013 and is now 9,462 (2017-2018).

Male babies (685 children less than one year old) were more frequently admitted for sleep apnea than girls (378 infants under one year old) in the last six years years.

Nocturnal terrors required admissions in 316 cases and 357 insomnia-related admissions were observed.

These numbers have all increased over the last 6 years.

The asleep walk has resulted in 68 admissions and 470 cases of narcolepsy have been recorded in recent months.

Experts have called this a "hidden public health catastrophe."

Researchers have described several possible causes of this increase in children with sleep problems. The most notable of these is the rise which includes obesity and weight problems in children and adolescents.

The excessive use of social media before bedtime and mental health issues were also attributed to youth sleeping problems.

Experts believe that the harmful effects of blue light coming from the screens before bedtime can suppress the productions of hormones conducive to a good sleep. Thus, it becomes more and more difficult to fall asleep.

Experts add that most children belong to families where both parents work. This can push bedtime and it can also disrupt sleep routines.

Some experts believe that an unhealthy diet, an excess of sugar and caffeinated beverages at night and before bedtime can also be responsible for sleep problems in teenagers and children.

Bad eating habits also cause weight problems and obesity directly associated with sleep apnea.

Another unexplored and poorly understood problem is the rise in mental health problems among children, experts say.

These are areas that need to be thoroughly evaluated and addressed effectively to improve sleep problems in children, say the researchers.