“Watching violence on television or TV before bedtime can lead to sleep problems for preschoolers, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. Experts have known for some time that too much TV time can negatively impact our sleep, but this new research finds that what young children watch and when they watch it can make a difference as well.
The study looked at the television viewing habits and sleep problems of more than 600 preschoolers in Seattle, Washington. When children watched age appropriate TV in the morning or afternoon, they didn't have problems with their sleep, but when the shows contained violence, young people were more likely to experience nightmares and walk up feeling tired.
Part of the problem, researchers say, is that younger children are watching shows meant for older kids, and preschoolers can't yet distinguish fantasy from reality.
"For a 7- to 10-year-old they are really at a point where cognitively they can grasp that that's not real violence and they can see the humor in it – it's not frightening for them. But 3- to 5-year-olds just aren't developmentally there yet," explains study author Michelle Garrison, Ph.D., with the Seattle Children's Research Institute.
Garrison also found that watching television right before bedtime made it more difficult for children to get to sleep, meant more nightmares and waking up during the night, even if the shows were educational and geared specifically for young children…” CNN – The Chart
Think about the children that see violence right in their own homes. Think about the children that see violence right outside their home or apartment.
We need to do more for our children. We need to do better by them.
How many fathers just want their kids to go to bed so they can surf for porn.
We are learning more about children and our brains all the time.
But it appears to me that there is less interest in using the information. The Republicans want to do away with the Department of Education. The Republicans do not believe in science. The Republicans hate teachers.
Republicans want to cut taxes of the rich and give more money and benefits to the rich at the same time they want to cut help for children and working families.
One of my kids would not want to go to bed because “Star Trek” was on and it was on late. She was tired but she would stand in the rocking chair and rock back and forth and watch “Captain.” I would say “time for bed” or something like that and she would say “Captain.”
Sometimes I would just let her watch it and then she would go right to bed and other times when I knew she was very tired as soon as a advertisement came on I would say “Captain is over” and she would go to bed.
One of my other kids when she was older loved all animals. She loved hamburgers but would not eat them because it was made from cows. So I told her that they were made from beans and other stuff but not cows or animals. She ate a lot of hamburgers after that… I think she knew I was not telling the truth.
I think most of us try to do what is best for our children. We often fail.
It has got to be harder than hell now days to raise kids. I had four kids. I do not think I could do it now days. We need to support families and we need government to help.
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