The last twelve months have left their indelible mark on youngsters, with many of them suffering mental health as a consequence of the pandemic, manifested in terms of depression and other ailments. Sometimes altered sleeping patterns can also be a contributor, frequently brought on by excessive usage of digital devices – key to their enforced online learning, but also with many side effects. This BBC article points to the fact that children, and in particular teenagers, really need their sleep in order to preserve their mental health. According to recent research “deficit of sleep has well-established negative effects on us, including a tendency to withdraw from friends and family, a lack of motivation and increased irritability, all of which can affect the quality of a person’s relationships, putting them at greater risk of depression…A lack of sleep can lead to increased inflammation in the body, which has been implicated in mental health difficulties”. As a symptom per se sleeping disorders need to be tackled before they have an effect on mental health which will exacerbate the issue and overall health of a child. As such we must encourage and ensure that children do get enough sleep, for the future of their mental health.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210305-why-teenage-sleep-is-so-important-for-mental-health