COVER
STORY
NURTURING 21st CENTURY CHILDRENSleep help AIDS
T
he global revenue of the sleep aids market —
comprising drugs, medical devices and the
mattress industry — is estimated to rise to $79.
billion (Rs.548,652 crore) by 2023, registering a growth
of 7 percent from 2017 to 2023. Within this market, the
mattress industry is the prime beneficiary. Foam, traditional
coil, pillow-top, hypo-allergenic, adjustable, and visco-
elastic ‘memory’ foams are a few of the types of mattress
products which promise to improve the quality of sleep.
PW lists four sleep-friendly
mattresses available in India.- SleepyCat, a Mumbai-
based company, manufactures
orthopedic mattresses with cooling
crystals inserted into the memory
foam to regulate body temperature
and improve sleep. - Wink & Nod mattresses
are made of bamboo fabric and
remain cool for long periods of time. - Cuddl offers pillows with adjustable thickness to suit
individual needs. - Wakefit offers orthopaedic mattresses made of
memory foam, spring and coir, that provide optimal body
support and promote deep sleep.
Studies (January 2017), found that high socio-economic
status (SES) children reported almost 90 minutes less sleep
per day than children of lowest SES families. Moreover,
lower SES children reported greater physical activity, while
affluent children averaged more time on academic work
which the study found to be a strong predictor of lesser
sleep duration. According to the study, the consequences
of insufficient sleep include poor scores in cognitive tasks,
depression and greater propensity for self-harm and even
suicide.
Though some argue that too much sleep is waste of
precious productive hours, the consensus of opinion
among medical experts, researchers and psychologists is
that young children, adolescents as well as adults need
sufficient restful sleep to give their best at school, college
and workplaces. In particular, within growing children
and adolescents, adequate sleep is associated with several
crucial and essential body restorative changes and physical
development. Therefore, parents should exercise care
not to allow sleep sacrifice in the pursuit of academics,APPS
Several apps promise to promote deep
sleep in children. Among them:
Lullaby for Babies. The prerecorded
lullabies of this app include classics such
as, Hush, Little Baby and soothe infants
into sleep. (Free; Android)Lightning Bug —
Sleep Clock. 200
sound loops — from
rainstorms and waves to
electronic instruments
— that induce infants
to sleep. Moreover it has a white-noise mixer that prevents
parents from falling asleep while the baby’s still awake.
(Free; Android)Sleepy Sounds. Displays
soothing animation to
replicate a calming night-
light. You can also record
your own music and
sounds. (Free, iPhone and
Android)co-curricular and sports excellence. Instead of success and
improved performance, prolonged sleep deprivation can
make children vulnerable to frequent infections and poor
learning outcomes.