 The study looked at children aged seven or eight
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A good night’s sleep could reduce hyperactivity and bad behaviour among children, a Finnish study reports.
It has been suggested that some children who lack sleep do not appear tired, but instead behave badly.
Of the 280 examined in the Pediatrics study, those who slept for fewer than eight hours were the most hyperactive.
Experts said adequate sleep could improve behaviour in healthy children and reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
It is recognised that chronic sleep deprivation is a problem for many adults in Western countries and that it can have consequences for their health and daily life.
The team behind this research said not enough was understood about the role of sleep in children’s lives but it has been estimated that a third of US children do not get enough sleep.
Monitoring
In this research, the team from the University of Helsinki and Finland’s National Institute of Health and Welfare studied 280 healthy children aged seven or eight.
They wanted to see if those healthy children who slept the least were the most likely to display the kind of symptoms associated with ADHD.
None of the children studied had the attention disorder.
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Full article and photo: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8016531.stm
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See also:
Short Sleep Duration and Behavioral Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Healthy 7- to 8-Year-Old Children
