囧研究：孩子睡眠越來越差，原來都是手機惹的禍

Increasing numbers of children are suffering from sleep problems, and the rise is being attributed to use of social media and digital devices before bedtime, as well as childhood obesity and mental health problems.

越來越多的孩子有睡眠問題，造成問題的主要原因是在睡前使用社交媒體和電子設備，除了睡眠在肥胖和精神方面也收到這些因素的影響。

The number of hospital admissions for young people with sleep disorders has risen sharply over the last six years, according to data from NHS.

根據NHS的報道，在最近的6年越來越多青年人因睡眠紊亂而去醫院就診。

Admissions with a primary diagnosis of sleep disorder amongst under-16s rose from 6,520 in 2012-13 to 9,429 last year.

根據因睡眠就診的人數，16歲以下的從2012年到2013年增加了6520人，去年增加9429人。

But some experts believe we shouldn’t be demonising social media - rather we should be teaching parents to set boundaries for their children.

但是一些專家認爲這個問題不應該責怪社交媒體，而是應該讓家長給孩子們設限。

“We know that blue light from screens can interfere with sleep but really these problems are down to poor parenting, not social media,” digital detox expert and author of Stop staring at screens, Tanya Goodin, explains to The Independent.

在接受《獨立報》採訪時，Tanya Goodin這位數字戒毒專家和《Stop staring at screens》的作者說:”我們都知道屏幕發出的藍光會干擾我們的睡眠，但是這些問題還是父母的監管沒有到位，而不應該是社交媒體的責任。”

“If children are staying up late at night on screens and social networks the blame must be laid at the door of parents, not the social media companies.”

“如果孩子因爲在社交媒體和屏幕前徹夜不眠，那就是父母的責任，而不是社交媒體公司的責任。”

Vicki Dawson, founder of the NHS Doncaster-funded the Children’s Sleep Charity, also stresses the importance of parents setting strict rules around bedtimes.

NHS唐卡斯特兒童睡眠慈善的創立者Vicki Dawson也強調了父母制定嚴格作息時間的重要性。

“We are increasingly seeing families where both parents are out working and this can mean that bedtime becomes later; bedtime routines may be rushed or abandoned altogether,” she said.

她說“越來越多的家庭都是雙職工家庭，這導致睡覺的時間變晚，睡覺的規律也被忽視甚至一起拋棄了。”

“A good sleep routine is key in supporting a better sleep pattern. Diet can play a role too. We see children and young people who are consuming a lot of sugar and even energy drinks to try to compensate for the sleep deprivation that they are experiencing. This then has an impact on night-time sleep.”

“睡眠的規律對於養成良好的睡眠習慣很有幫助，飲食也有同樣的作用。我們看到孩子和年輕人因爲缺乏睡眠而用攝入大量的糖和能量飲料來代替，這對於晚上的睡眠也有影響。”

However, research also suggests that not sleeping enough can lead to weight gain, so the two factors are closely linked.

研究表明睡眠不足會導致體重增加，兩者是相輔相成的。

Similarly, suffering from anxiety can lead to trouble sleeping, and being sleep deprived can contribute to anxiousness.

同樣的，如果精神焦慮會導致睡眠問題，而睡眠不足也會讓精神焦慮。

“Children need a consistent routine from early on… one that is consistent but not a straitjacket, there should be flexibility,”.

“兒童們從小就應該培養習慣，應該是一以貫之，但也不能成爲束縛，有時候也可以變通”

“Building in winding-down time at the end of the day, reducing smartphone use an hour before bedtime is important for better sleep.”

“制定一天的休息時間，在睡前一個小時不要玩手機，這爲好的睡眠提供重要保障。”

（翻譯：林潯鷗）