LET TER FROM

MANAGING EDITOR

NURTURING 21st CENTURY CHILDREN

here are two widely divergent opinions on the

quantum of sleep required by productive and

successful individuals of the 21st century. The

consensus opinion of the rich and famous is

‘don’t sleep your life away’. Most of the world’s

richest and most successful people sleep for

less than five hours. They include US President Donald Trump (3-

hours), Twitter founder Jack Dorsey (4), GE chief executive Jeff Immelt

(5) and former president of Pepsico Inc Indra Nooyi (4). However, most

research conducted by healthcare gurus and academics is unanimous

that adults require a minimum seven-nine hours sleep in every 24-hour

cycle to maintain good health and become productive. According to this

accumulating body of research, sleep deprivation can — and does —

aggravate stress, depression, diabetes and cardiac ailments.

In particular, expert and professional opinion is unanimous that for

children and adolescents, adequate and restful sleep is the prerequisite of

physical and mental well-being. For the young, good quality prolonged

sleep is necessary for their growing bodies to build sinews and mental

capability to enable brain development and tissue repair functions.

According to a recent study published in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics,

over 90 percent of 13-15-year-olds in Delhi are sleep-deprived. Driven

by pushy parents, millions of children and teenagers across the country

are sacrificing sleep at the altar of academics, co-curricular and sports

education and technology addiction. The consequences are poor academic

performance, lethargy, irritation, obesity and incremental stress. The

warning of medical experts to the growing tribe of helicopter parents is

don’t cram your child’s day with activities and cut down on their sleep

hours; it can be counter-productive.

There are many other interesting features in this issue. Among them:

how to help children cope with divorce; a health and nutrition essay on

preventing chronic illnesses in children by Vellore-based pediatrician Dr.

Gita Mathai and interview with popular actress Isha Koppikar on how she

nurtures her daughter by example. Also check out our four-page Kidzone

special on ways and means to encourage children to take to sports and

games.

T

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RNI No. KARENG/2016/

Volume IV No.

EDITOR
Dilip Thakore

MANAGING EDITOR
Summiya Yasmeen

EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Cynthia John

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Paromita Sengupta
Odeal D’Souza, Jeswant J.M, Gopi
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