Sleep Deprivation in American Kids, a small rant
Fact: obesity, “metabolic syndrome,” and type 2 diabetes are rampant in the United States.
Fact: Americans are chronically sleep deprived, with adults averaging less than seven hours a night, when that average should be eight or nine hours a night. Children need more sleep than adults; 10-12 hours a night is recommended up to age 12.
Fact: Sleep deprivation has been linked to metabolic syndrome, obesity and type 2 diabetes, along with a host of other medical issues.
Fact: I was in a grocery store after 9 p.m. on a Tuesday in early May and saw multiple families, with grade-school aged children, shopping. School is still in session in this city in early May.
Opinion: Take your kids home and put them to bed, my friends. Keeping them up after 9 p.m. when they have school in the morning is Bad for them.
It can elevate their fasting blood sugar, impair their ability to control appetite, and even interfere with their memory of stuff they’ve recently learned.
And while you’re at it, go take a nap, because you don’t need those things to happen to you, either.
End of Rant. I feel much better now. Thanks for listening.
Leave a Reply