Survey: U.S., U.K. opinions on sleep differ
David Perry -- Furniture Today, November 5, 2011
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The Better Sleep Council has teamed up with its sister group in the United Kingdom, the Sleep Council, for some back-to-school homework.
The two groups, both devoted to consumer education about bedding issues, joined forces in August to survey more than 1,000 consumers in the U.S. and the U.K. about sleep and school issues.
They found some common ground, with one third of the children in both countries getting less sleep when they go back to school, while higher percentages in both countries are reported to actually get more sleep when they go back to school.
And the survey shatters the perception held by some that the childhood years are carefree; many children in both countries worry about a variety of issues ranging from school concerns to world news.
But the survey also found some major differences in how parents in the two countries view sleep issues affecting their children.
For example, 45% of U.S. parents think their child achieves better grades at school as a result of getting more sleep, compared with just 22% of U.K. parents who have that view. And 85% of U.S. parents say their child seems crabbier when getting less sleep during the school year, compared with just 44% of parents in the U.K. who feel that way.
In addition, the survey findings show that U.S. parents put a much higher value on the importance of a good mattress than their U.K. counterparts. Almost 90% of U.S. parents believe that a quality mattress is important for their child to get a good night's sleep, while just 60% of the U.K. parents share that opinion.
"In the U.S., there is greater awareness of the adverse effects of poor sleep habits," said Jessica Alexander, executive director of the National Bed Federation in the U.K. and head of the Sleep Council. "In the U.K., sleep has not yet been given equal status with diet and exercise as being fundamental to health and well being."
Officials with both groups warn that a child's well being could be at risk due to lack of education about the importance of sleep.
One third of U.S. parents believe that electronic devices like smart phones and computers cause their children to lose sleep at night, while 19% of U.K. parents have that view.
Officials with both groups urged parents to remove electronics from the bedroom to establish an electronics curfew an hour before bedtime.
The BSC and the SC offered several tips for parents in both countries who want to promote better sleep for their children. Among them: Make sure the bedroom is cool and quiet, try and get the child into a routine, encourage 30 minutes of exercise daily, and talk with your child about the day and ask about fears and concerns he or she may have.
They also said parents should check the quality of the child's mattress. If it is seven years old or older, replacing it may be vital to improving the sleep environment, they said.
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