Too much time spent glued to social media is fueling a sleep crisis among children, with the number of tablets distributed doubling in just seven years.
Doctors distributed more than 700,000 prescriptions in 2022 to young people who struggle to switch off at night – some of whom were babies.
It’s an increase of a quarter in three years and a “worrying” jump of 110 percent in seven years
Experts believe a toxic cocktail of more time spent on social media, the cost of living crisis and the disruption to children’s lives caused by the Covid pandemic has made sleep more difficult.
Children aged 11 were prescribed the tablets most frequently, according to NHS data, representing 80,274 prescriptions – or more than 1,500 a week.
Worryingly, around 154 were issued to babies under one year of age.
The revelation comes as separate statistics show that hundreds of children and teenagers in England are being admitted to hospital with sleep disorders, with admissions for conditions such as insomnia almost doubling in recent years.
Under-25s are struggling to cope, and this is having a negative impact on their sleeping patterns
Zoe Bailie
“This increase in the number of sleeping pills is a real concern because as doctors we try to avoid sleeping pills at any age and only give them out in extreme cases,” said Dr. Sarah Jarvis, clinical director of the patient.info told Sun Health.
She said there is “very good evidence” to suggest young people are “really struggling with their mental health”, which can lead to sleep problems.
“Depression and anxiety commonly lead to trouble sleeping – whether it’s not being able to sleep, waking up often during the night, or waking up early in the morning,” she explained.
“While the Covid-19 pandemic has made things worse, the rise in mental health problems started long before that.
“Children are using social media more than ever, and this has been linked to mental distress, self-harm, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem,” she said.
Zoe Bailie, of The Mix, a youth charity, said the rise in sleeping pills is “extremely worrying” but unfortunately “not surprising in the context of the huge pressures young people face”.
“Due to the long-term impacts of Covid, the anxiety and uncertainty caused by the cost of living crisis and the reduction in services for young people, under 25s are struggling to cope, and this is having an impact reflected in sleep. standards,” she said Online Mail.
‘Unprecedented pressures facing children’
NHS guidelines say doctors should not normally prescribe sleeping medications to children unless it is for short-term treatment.
Figures for 2022 show doctors issued 716,464 prescriptions for hypnotics – sleeping pills and liquid medicine – for children under 16 in England.
This increased from 643,998 in the previous 12 months, 570,147 in 2020 and 339,848 in 2016.
An NHS spokesperson said: “These figures show the ongoing and unprecedented pressures faced by children and young people and reflect the increased demand for children’s mental health services – the NHS is providing mental health support to more children than ever and is expanding the offering as quickly as possible. possible under current five-year financing agreements.
“We know there is still more to do to meet the increase in demand and that is why there are plans to ensure more than half of pupils can access an NHS mental health support team offering early support in schools by Spring 2025 – significantly earlier than the original. target.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The decision to prescribe a specific medicine is a clinical one and should be based on the patient’s medical needs and best interests.”
“We want to ensure that all young people receive the mental health support they need. That’s why we’ve increased spending by more than £4.7 billion in monetary terms since 2018/19 and are increasing the coverage of mental health support teams in schools. reach at least 50 percent of pupils in England by March 2025.
“In addition, 24 existing early support centers across the country will receive additional funding, and the number of children and young people under 18 supported through NHS-funded mental health services has increased by 31 per cent since March 2021.”
How to sleep train your baby
ANY new parent knows how precious sleep becomes when you have a baby.
Sleep training is the process of helping a baby learn to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night without your comfort.
The goal of sleep training is to help your baby learn to self-soothe when he is put to bed awake or wakes up in the middle of the night.
Baby sleep expert Hannah Lovesuggested five things to try to encourage your newborn to sleep through the night once they reach 12 weeks of age:
Feed when your baby is hungry
While your first port of call may be to feed your baby, Hannah suggests that “you don’t need to use the breast or bottle every time your baby cries.”
“Remember that your sleeping and feeding cues are virtually identical for the first few days, so searching, crying, sucking, lip smacking, etc. they can also be signs of tiredness,” she said.
“Try to use feeding as a last resort rather than a first option, especially if your baby has breastfed within the last 2 hours.
“This will inevitably mean that you manage longer intervals between feedings and the baby can learn to sleep without feeding.”
Separating food and sleep
If your baby is always feeding to sleep, they may find it very difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night without you feeding them,” explained Hannah.
“Adopt the EASA – Eat Activity Sleep Activity – routine so you have a little bit of waking time on both sides of your eating during the day.
“If your baby is sleepy after feeding, wake him up, change his diaper and give him a little time to wake up before putting him to sleep without feeding.”
Sleepy hugs are good
Every parent loves a sleepy cuddle with their baby, but it’s important to make sure you hold them the right way.
“Hold your baby in a similar position to how they are in their crib, for example, on their back,” Hannah said.
“Opt for them sleeping in the crook of your arm on your back or lying on their knees on your back, or on your stomach on your back,” she added.
Avoid using a sling
While slings can be helpful in some situations, they can also encourage your baby to sleep in a position that won’t be helpful in getting a full night’s rest.
“If you are going out, use the stroller or car seat,” suggests Hannah.
“At home, use a lounger or their crib.
“If you wear a sling all the time, your baby will learn to sleep upright and on his stomach.
“This position isn’t ideal at night – as it means you’ll need to walk up and down with your baby in a sling at 3am.”
Practice
It’s important to practice “your baby will sleep on a hard surface, on their back, from the beginning.”
“This could be their crib, a sleeper or pillow on their knees (when supervised) or next to them on a bed or a bouncer with a little bounce,” suggests Hannah.
“You can help them with a headbutt, a small jump, a rock or a trick, but try to practice from the beginning.”
“Adopting some gentle habits similar to sleeping in your crib on your back will mean fewer habits to revert to later,” concluded Hannah.
“By establishing a good routine from day one and avoiding habits like rocking or feeding to sleep, your baby can and will learn to settle.
“If your baby learns this vital skill from day one, there will be no need for later sleep training and he will have a much better chance of sleeping through the night from 12 weeks onwards.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
