PARENTS are being offered classes on helping primary school children sleep because more and more pupils are too tired to cope in lessons.

Experts are teaching the importance of sticking to bedtime routines and restricting children’s night-time use of video games, mobile phones and computers.

Teachers are increasingly reporting cases of pupils falling asleep at their desk or having problems concentrating due to a lack of sleep.

Poor diet and a lack of exercise are also common causes of sleep deprivation among youngsters.

Up to 40% of children suffer sleep problems, according to sleep expert Dr Andrew Mayers, causing poor concentration and hyperactivity.

Subscribe to the Olive Press

5 COMMENTS

  1. I know a lot of parents around my town. And i swear im one of the very few that impose a bedtime and try to stick to a timetable.
    The attitude i get from spaniards is that a bedtime is somehow anti-spanish, and its perfectly fine to let your kids run around the streets until they drop.
    I understand “summer timetable” but when school starts? you see the parents and kids with black shadows under their eyes, and still they inisist all is great.

    “Early to bed, early to rise, makes Jack healthy, wealthy, and wise”. And tall apparently.

  2. One sees so many children out late with their parents. “It’s a Spanish thing”. It’s “culture”. It’s nothing of the sort. Fact is, those parents would not be able to be out for paseo, tapas and drinks, unless they took the nippers with them.

  3. @stefanjo: so that makes it alright then?
    And it obviously IS a “culture” thing. I really dont see how anyone who has ever travelled, watched TV, read a book, or is over the age of 12 could say otherwise?!?!

    Getting a child minder, friend, relative, is easy and usually free, at most cheap.

    Childs health is more important than parents desire for cheese and wine.

  4. David: Fail to see how you took my comment as approval. Far from it. If selfishness is “culture”, then have it your way. This behaviour reminds me of the old days in Britain, when parents would leave their kids outside the pub with a bag of crisps and a bottle of pop. Just as reprehensible, just as selfish. You are lucky with your cheap or free childminders by the way….

  5. @stefanjo: “took [your] comment as approval”????? I’m sorry, i forget english is your 2nd or 3rd language, as you are completely wrong there.
    As for your weekend trip to England… where did you go? Was it a ‘nice’ area where families could leave kids in the pub garden (instead of taking them into the cancerous inside – like spaniards). Or was it some terrible redneck area where parents didnt give a hoot about their children – again like so many here…
    your point is pointless, again.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.