2020-03-14 The Week Junior

Home news

14 March 2020•The Week Junior

REX SHUTTERSTOCK

·ALAM

Y·
GETT

YIMAGES

·PA

T

he number of young people being treated for

sleep disorders in English hospitals has almost

doubled in seven years, new analysisshows.

The Guardiannewspaperlooked atfigures from the

National Health Service(NHS) and found that11,

people under the age of16 had been admitted to

hospital because of sleep problems in 2018–19.

That’supfrom6,549 in2012–13.

It is thought that thereare three mainreasons for

the sudden increase. The first is linked to the number

of young people who areoverweight. Some people

who areoverweightcanfind it difficult to breathe

properly while they areasleep,which means th ey

don’t get properrest.

Accord ing to Vicki Dawson, who set up the

Children’sSleep Charity,asecondreasoncould be

alink betweenalack of sleep and mental health

(how we act, feel and think). Mental health problems

include anxiety (a feeling of unease and worry) or

depression (feeling low or sad foralong period of

time). Some people with anxiety struggle to get a

good night’ssleep because of their worries.

Dawson said the finalcause wasyoung people

looking at their screens beforebedtime. Some

reports show that doing thiscanaffect the hormone

melatonin, which encourages sleep.Ifm elatonin isn’t

released, people don’t sleep so well.Areportreleased

in January by Childwise,aresearch organisation,

found that 57% of young people aged between five

and 16 sleep withaphone by their bed. Dawson said

that therewas“a real lack of understanding around

the impact that screenscanhaveonsleep”.

“Bride’s brotherkeeps five-year promise to

bringallama to herwedding”today.com

THEWEEK’SSILLIESTHEADLINE

Aonce-in-a-lifetime dig

F

or the first time since1849, oneofEngland’s

most important Roman sites will be dug up by

archaeologists(people who study evidenceofpast

human activityrevealed from under the ground).

The site is an amphitheatre(acircular arena) in

Richborough,Kent, which would have hosted

executions and gladiator fights.Paul Pattison, a

historian from English Heritage, said itwasaonce-in-

a-lifetime opportunity to unlock the site’ssecrets.

HS2legalchallengelaunched

A

legal challenge has been launched to stop the

construction of HS2,ahigh-sp eed rail project

that would link Birmingham,Leeds, London and

Manchester.Campaigner ChrisPackham launched the

legal action because he believes the project would

destroy almost 700 wildlife sites. Hewasinspired by

acourtruling on 27February,which blocked plans for

anew runway at Heathrow airport because it did not

meet the Government’senvironmental promises.

Boostfor UK seamammals

A

recordnumber of dolphins, porpoises and whales

have been spotted in UKwaters as part of an

annual study.Infi ndings published on3March, the

SeaWatchFoundationreported 2,130 sightings of

13 differentspeciesbythe public during its 2019

summer survey.Many sightings included groups of

animals, withatotal of11,864 dolphins, porpoises

and whalesrecorded. It is thought thatwarm weather

helped provide morefood for the marine mammals.

Sharp rise in sleep problems

forunder 16-year-olds

✓Keep your bedroomcool and dark.

✓Trynot to eat too close to bedtime,

and avoid anything that hascaffeine

in it, such as fizzy drinks. If youwant a

bedtime drink, haveaglass ofwarm milk.

✓Makesureyou do someexercise during

the day to tireyourself out.

✓Go to bed at the same time every night

to buildaroutine.

✓Putany screens away beforebedtime,

andread or listen to quiet music instead.

Tips foragood night’srest

Looking atscreens before

bedcanaffectyour sleep.

The siteisin

Richborough,Kent.

ChrisPackham

Aharbour porpoise.