| ■ Sleep Affects Children's Behavior: Study | 2009.05.08 |
| Getting enough sleep may help reduce hyperactivity and bad behavior among children, suggests a new study. Finnish researchers studied 280 healthy children, ages 7 and 8, and found that those who got an average of less than 7.7 hours of sleep per night had higher scores on tests of hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. They also had more symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), BBC News reported. "We were able to show that short sleep duration and sleeping difficulties are related to behavioral symptoms of ADHD," said study leader Dr. Juulia Paavonen. "The findings suggest that maintaining adequate sleep schedules among children is likely to be important in preventing behavioral symptoms." Paavonen also said inadequate sleep may increase "some of the behavioral problems that have been seen in children with attention deficit disorders," BBC News reported. |