In his last sleep blog, your Livonia, MI dentist, Dr. James Stewart, shared some results of this year’s National Sleep Foundation 2014 poll. The poll results are chuck full of interesting and useful information. In today’s blog, Dr. Stewart continues discussing some of the results.
Total Sleep Time
According to parents, their older children get less sleep than their younger ones. For instance, 58 percent of teens between the ages of 15 to 17 sleep 7 or fewer hours per night. Only 10 percent of that age group sleeps 9 or more hours. Of the younger children–ages 6 to 11–eight percent sleep 7 hours per night, 23 percent sleep 8 hours per night, and 69 percent sleep 9 hours or more. Of children ages 12 to 14, 29 percent slept more than 9 hours. These statistics are important because they show that children are not getting enough sleep. Children between the ages of 5 to 12 should be getting 10 or 11 hours of sleep. Older children should be getting 9 or more.
The Role of Electronics
Electronics such as televisions, computers, cell phones, tablets, and video games have become fixtures in the American bedroom. Often children fall asleep watching TV or stay up late texting or playing video games. Over one third of those polled leave the TV on while they sleep. Sixty-eight percent of adults and 51 percent of children had at least two electronic devices in their bedrooms. This can be disruptive to sleep patterns. The older the child the more likely they have electronics in their bedrooms. For instance, 89 percent of teens 15 to 17 have at least one electronic device in their room during bedtime.
Look for the third installment of Dr. Stewart’s recap of the National Sleep Foundation 2014 poll results.
About Your Livonia MI Dentist Dr. Stewart
James R. Stewart, Jr, DDS, PC and our compassionate staff proudly serve patients of all ages from Livonia, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and all surrounding communities. If you think you or a loved one is dealing with a sleep disorder, call our office today at (734) 425-4400, to schedule an appointment. At Dental sleep Medicine of Michigan, we are committed to forming trusting relationships with our patients so we can work together to achieve sound treatment and a future full of restful nights.
