Game-crazy teenagers "lose sleep"

[mrmyk]

A new report about how teenagers are spending too much time on video games at night because they are surrounded by gadgets all the time

 

 

 

Playing with computer games and watching TV is preventing teenagers from getting enough sleep, according to a report.

 

 

 

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Almost one in three are surviving on as little as four hours a night and are going to school exhausted, it said.

 

 

 

The survey for the Sleep Council revealed that "junk sleep" is now a major problem for Britain's teens.

 

 

 

A leading expert linked poor quality sleep with weight gain, with teens possibly craving sugary or high fat foods. The trend for staying over at friends' homes and parents who are too relaxed is adding to the problem, he said.

 

 

 

Teenagers themselves also blamed feeling too hot or too cold, worrying and an uncomfortable bed for their lack of sleep.

 

 

 

The study of 1,000 12 to 16-year-olds found that 30% of teenagers were only getting four to seven hours sleep before a school day instead of the recommended eight to nine hours for this age group.

 

 

 

Almost a quarter (23%) said they fell asleep more than once a week while watching the TV or listening to music or with other electrical items running.

 

 

 

Almost all (99%) said they had a phone, music system or TV in their bedroom and two thirds (65%) had all three. Among 12 to 14-year-old boys, 58% had a phone, music system, TV and games console in their bedroom. A fifth (19%) of boys in this age group admitted their quality of sleep was affected by leaving the TV or computer switched on.

 

 

 

However, across all teenagers surveyed, only one in 10 (11%) said they gave much thought to the quality of their sleep. When asked how they thought lack of sleep affected them, they ranked energy levels top followed by mood, school work, hair and skin, and weight.

 

 

 

Dr Chris Idzikowski, from the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, said: "I'm staggered that so few teenagers make the link between getting enough good quality sleep and how they feel during the day. Teenagers need to wake up to the fact that to feel well, perform well and look well, they need to do something about their sleep."

 

 

 

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20070 ... e80_1.html

[Tigra00]

Maybe their parents need to KICK THEIR LITTLE [wagon].

 

 

 

I had a bed-time of 9 PM until I was like 14, at which it went to 10 PM. The entire time I was in school, probably until I was almost 17, I never broke this "bed-time". Around then I started staying up an extra half-hour to watch South Park.

 

 

 

...And my parents are extremely non-strict...I can't even imagine the lack of parenting it takes to not be able to get your kids to go to sleep at night. I'd imagine it's something like this:

 

 

 

Parents: Go to bed, Jimmy.

 

Jimmy: Okay, mom and dad! Gee, you sure are swell! What would I do without you guys?

 

Parents: Oh, Jimmy...You're such a lovely child. How about a new iPod!

 

Jimmy: Yay! Thanks mom and dad!

 

*Exit parents, to their room to sleep soundly*

 

Jimmy, to himself: Idiots.

 

*Jimmy commences staying awake until 4 am and not getting up for school 7 days out of the month until he drops out and gets a job at Kinko's, which he's fired from because he's not qualified.*

 

 

 

You have to watch your kids, or they don't listen. My mom would come in every night a little after 10 (she'd tell me to get ready for bed around 9:45-ish) to see if I was asleep..I almost always was, so she'd go to bed. If I wasn't she'd keep coming back in until I was.

 

 

 

And again, my parents aren't strict and barely cared about what I did.

[Riku3220]

is it really that hard for parents to set up a bed time? i mean the longest u've stayed up from my bedtime was 10 minutes becuase i was half way through fighting a hard boss on a video game and i couldnt save

 

 

 

was i "losing sleep" for playing that video 10 minutes longer?

[darkforaster]

Teenagers themselves also blamed feeling too hot or too cold, worrying and an uncomfortable bed for thier lack of sleep.

 

 

 

I play video games A LOT, 6 - 7 hours a day. I'm very insociable and the last thing I do every night before going to bed is play video games.

 

 

 

Yet I'm almost never tired on a school day. i get plenty of sleep. and when I wake up the tiredness vanishes after i've turned the good old gamecube on.

 

 

 

Though sometimes i do lay in bed for around half an hour or so, bored since I had to stop playing one of my favourite games such as FE: path of Radiance.

 

 

 

In my opinion. It really could be too hot or too cold, worry or an uncomfy bed taht's causing a lack of sleep.

 

 

 

Of course, It's probably just me.

 

 

 

was i "losing sleep" for playing that video 10 minutes longer?

 

 

 

Technically yes, But it doesn't matter really.

[TotalTalker]

Why dont they put one of those things one their childrens consoles that times how long they can be on there for?

 

 

 

I think they enter a certain amount of time, and after that amount of time the console shuts down or something.

[darkforaster]

Why dont they put one of those things one their childrens consoles that times how long they can be on there for?

 

 

 

I think they enter a certain amount of time, and after that amount of time the console shuts down or something.

 

 

 

What happens if you can't save it until a certain point, then suddenly the game console shuts down just before your first save point comes up?

 

 

 

It just won't work.

[Riku3220]

Teenagers themselves also blamed feeling too hot or too cold, worrying and an uncomfortable bed for thier lack of sleep.

 

 

 

I play video games A LOT, 6 - 7 hours a day. I'm very insociable and the last thing I do every night before going to bed is play video games.

 

 

 

Yet I'm almost never tired on a school day. i get plenty of sleep. and when I wake up the tiredness vanishes after i've turned the good old gamecube on.

 

 

 

Though sometimes i do lay in bed for around half an hour or so, bored since I had to stop playing one of my favourite games such as FE: path of Radiance.

 

 

 

In my opinion. It really could be too hot or too cold, worry or an uncomfy bed taht's causing a lack of sleep.

 

 

 

Of course, It's probably just me.

 

 

 

was i "losing sleep" for playing that video 10 minutes longer?

 

 

 

Technically yes, But it doesn't matter really.

 

 

 

technically no i dont fall asleep at exactly 11:00pm i ususally fall asleep at around 11:20, 11:15 if im really tired plus i know tricks to help you falll asleep

[Tigra00]

Why dont they put one of those things one their childrens consoles that times how long they can be on there for?

 

 

 

I think they enter a certain amount of time, and after that amount of time the console shuts down or something.

 

 

 

What happens if you can't save it until a certain point, then suddenly the game console shuts down just before your first save point comes up?

 

 

 

It just won't work.

 

 

 

I really doubt parents care about your save points being missed. It teaches the kids to watch the clock and make sure he saves a few minutes before it shuts off.

[Riku3220]

Why dont they put one of those things one their childrens consoles that times how long they can be on there for?

 

 

 

I think they enter a certain amount of time, and after that amount of time the console shuts down or something.

 

 

 

What happens if you can't save it until a certain point, then suddenly the game console shuts down just before your first save point comes up?

 

 

 

It just won't work.

 

 

 

I really doubt parents care about your save points being missed. It teaches the kids to watch the clock and make sure he saves a few minutes before it shuts off.

 

 

 

well that depends on who your parents are if your parents are hardcore gamers then of course they'll let you save if your parents were the strictest people ever you wouldn't even have a video game.

 

 

 

all these parents need is some parental control if hey're spending to much time on a game establish a bed time and MAKE them go to bed then. if thats not working TAKE the game away from them with the bed time still established. if you do that for abut a month then it should get better

[TotalTalker]

I know, but the parents wont really know will they? I mean its either the parents let their child save the game and then hope that they come off, or come down hard on them and use the machine to manage their time.

[Necrobean]

Teenagers themselves also blamed feeling too hot or too cold, worrying and an uncomfortable bed for thier lack of sleep.

 

 

 

I play video games A LOT, 6 - 7 hours a day. I'm very insociable and the last thing I do every night before going to bed is play video games.

 

 

 

Yet I'm almost never tired on a school day. i get plenty of sleep. and when I wake up the tiredness vanishes after i've turned the good old gamecube on.

 

 

 

Though sometimes i do lay in bed for around half an hour or so, bored since I had to stop playing one of my favourite games such as FE: path of Radiance.

 

 

 

In my opinion. It really could be too hot or too cold, worry or an uncomfy bed taht's causing a lack of sleep.

 

 

 

Of course, It's probably just me.

 

 

 

was i "losing sleep" for playing that video 10 minutes longer?

 

 

 

Technically yes, But it doesn't matter really.

 

 

 

technically no i dont fall asleep at exactly 11:00pm i ususally fall asleep at around 11:20, 11:15 if im really tired plus i know tricks to help you falll asleep

 

 

 

Do share them with me, Rikku as I have to read books for a straight 2-4 hours before my eyes are getting tired.

[Jaziek]

usually it starts occuring to me that i should probably go to bed at about half 10.. i usually get into bed about half 11. I havent had a bedtime since i was 12.. i really dont think gaming is affecting my sleep. I get a good 8 hours a night if i really want to.

[____]

I can sleep for 3 or 4 hours and be fine. Hell, I've gone to work after only getting an hour of sleep and no one was the wiser. My quality of sleep depends purely if I need it or not. Over sleeping results in me feeling like crap and generally having 'no energy' than if i got less.

[Tigra00]

I can sleep for 3 or 4 hours and be fine. Hell, I've gone to work after only getting an hour of sleep and no one was the wiser. My quality of sleep depends purely if I need it or not. Over sleeping results in me feeling like crap and generally having 'no energy' than if i got less.

 

 

 

I envy you. :P

 

 

 

Sleeping is literally the biggest waste of time one will ever have done in his or her life...1/3 of your life roughly is dedicated to it. Barf. I hate sleeping.

 

 

 

Edit: I wonder if tripping on DMT for like an hour would make up for not sleeping... :-k Okay, probably not.

[StrOwez]

The Alarm clock and some caffeine always helps cure a Gamers hangover.

[Kant]

I can sleep for 3 or 4 hours and be fine. Hell, I've gone to work after only getting an hour of sleep and no one was the wiser. My quality of sleep depends purely if I need it or not. Over sleeping results in me feeling like crap and generally having 'no energy' than if i got less.

 

 

 

Sleeping is literally the biggest waste of time one will ever have done in his or her life...1/3 of your life roughly is dedicated to it. Barf. I hate sleeping.

 

 

 

Sleeping is like, one of my favourite past times. There is nothing more relaxing and refreshing than a Sunday afternoon nap!

[____]

@Tigra: Eat when hungry, sleep when tried, do not use stimulants. A dozen of so stints of 60h+ of no sleep should have you powerthing through 20-21hrs of a day rather than the standard 16 or so :P

 

 

 

When you eat when hungry rather than the standard 3-meals a day junk, you aren't running on empty by the time it's end-of-day, so you generally have energy left to go for another 4 or 5 hours at least before you require a short sleep to recharge, at which you wake to a meal - since it would've been close to 8hrs since the last one - and the process starts again ;)

[zeekyhbomb]

Haven't had a bed time in years, but I typically get between 6 and 8 hours on school days and that's plenty. Kids that try to run on barely any sleep are the ones that have it end up showing on their report cards. Parents should enforce a bed time to a certain age but once they reach their teens it should really be their choice. If a kid wants to screw up their chances at going to college, more power to them. :lol:

[tripsis]

Me? Lack of sleep? As if. Unless I have school the next morning, which cuts back on it, I get an even 10-12 hours of sleep a night :mrgreen:

[pfilc23]

There's only one gadget that keep me from getting the amount of sleep I should...an alarm clock

[Tbfgraphx14]

I can never turn off my T.V. at night. I might be watching Dirty Jobs or something, and then I check the clock, "woah it's 2am already!" :oops:

 

 

 

Lots of nights during the last school year I averaged 7 hours of sleep a night. I used to drink coffee in the morning but I quit that because it just made me really hungry around lunch time =;

 

 

 

I think there is a program called "Sleep" or something that schools can sign up for and you start at like 9:30 :-k

[Faux]

School makes me sleep for less than 8 hrs because I have work at night and need to wake up early in the morning

 

 

 

Maybe I should quit school for my health

[ACoffecup2]

I only get 7-8 hours sleep, and I go to bed at 10 and do paper round at 6:00.

[Necromagus]

Like pretty much everybody pointed out, it's the parents who should step in if their children are losing sleep - for whatever reason. If they have a computer in their room, cut their connection at bedtime. If they have a TV, cut the cable. Make them leave their cellphones and stuff downstairs when they go up to bed. If your kid can't set boundaries for themselves, you have to do it for them.

[Nadril]

Not sure why parents can't set up a proper bed time for kids. I know that mine was always 10:00 and I pretty much followed that up to senior year of high school.

 

 

 

 

 

And I did have all the goodies I would want in my room. My PC/TV/Consoles...ect.