Sleepless Britain

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0:00:02 > 0:00:04Our children are exhausted.

0:00:04 > 0:00:05It's the new normal.

0:00:05 > 0:00:08- It's bedtime. - CHILD CRIES

0:00:08 > 0:00:12It just consumes your whole life. Just one little word - sleep.

0:00:12 > 0:00:15Mobile devices have taken over many children's lives and

0:00:15 > 0:00:17interfered with their sleep.

0:00:17 > 0:00:19I have my telly.

0:00:19 > 0:00:22- IPad.- Two iPads.- Two iPads, iPhone.

0:00:22 > 0:00:26But sleep deprivation has serious consequences.

0:00:26 > 0:00:29Tonight, on Panorama, we can reveal hospital attendances in

0:00:29 > 0:00:34England for children with sleep problems have tripled in ten years.

0:00:34 > 0:00:36- Do they hurt or...? - They don't hurt at all.

0:00:37 > 0:00:40We uncover how unlicensed prescriptions of a sleep medicine

0:00:40 > 0:00:43to both adults and children have increased tenfold

0:00:43 > 0:00:45in the last decade.

0:00:45 > 0:00:47I'd prefer a solution to this something different

0:00:47 > 0:00:50than having to take medication the rest of his life,

0:00:50 > 0:00:52so I'm willing to try anything out.

0:00:52 > 0:00:55And we reveal how we're damaging our children's future by

0:00:55 > 0:00:57failing to value their sleep.

0:00:57 > 0:00:59Oh, I can't do it, too fast.

0:01:11 > 0:01:13CLOCK TICKS

0:01:13 > 0:01:15Across the developed world,

0:01:15 > 0:01:18children are sleeping less than previous generations.

0:01:18 > 0:01:20..as long as you guys have been alive...

0:01:20 > 0:01:25Students in English schools are the most sleep deprived in Europe.

0:01:25 > 0:01:28How many of you heard the phrase, "Sleep on it?"

0:01:28 > 0:01:31CLOCK TICKS

0:01:31 > 0:01:32You've heard that?

0:01:34 > 0:01:35What's it if you go to school

0:01:35 > 0:01:38and you haven't had a good night's sleep? How do you feel?

0:01:38 > 0:01:41- Tiring.- Can't be bothered walking to school.

0:01:41 > 0:01:43- You can't even be bothered walking to school?- No.

0:01:43 > 0:01:45Do you find it difficult to wake up in the morning?

0:01:45 > 0:01:47- ALL:- Yeah.

0:01:47 > 0:01:50I try and fall asleep in lessons, but I always get caught.

0:01:50 > 0:01:53Does anyone actually fall asleep in lessons? Does that ever happen?

0:01:53 > 0:01:55I've seen someone do it in my French class before.

0:01:55 > 0:01:57I fell asleep in English, because we read a book

0:01:57 > 0:01:59and I was reading a book and I was like that

0:01:59 > 0:02:01and then just...I fell asleep.

0:02:01 > 0:02:02- You were nodding off?- Yeah.

0:02:05 > 0:02:09A growing body of research shows that poor sleep jeopardises

0:02:09 > 0:02:12our children's school performance AND their long-term health.

0:02:14 > 0:02:16We desperately need to get children's sleep

0:02:16 > 0:02:17onto the public health agenda.

0:02:17 > 0:02:19We've done it with nutrition.

0:02:19 > 0:02:22People now are starting to understand the perils of sugar,

0:02:22 > 0:02:24the dangers of childhood obesity,

0:02:24 > 0:02:28they now need to wake up to the importance of sleep.

0:02:28 > 0:02:30CHILD CRIES

0:02:30 > 0:02:32Well, shall we go and get our pyjamas on?

0:02:32 > 0:02:34CRYING

0:02:34 > 0:02:39It's not only teens who are sleeping less. Toddlers are too.

0:02:39 > 0:02:41Elise is two and a half.

0:02:41 > 0:02:44Elise, we're not running out of the bedroom.

0:02:44 > 0:02:47Her bedtime routine with parents Jayne and Nick

0:02:47 > 0:02:50starts at seven o'clock and ends at ten-thirty.

0:02:51 > 0:02:53ELISE CRIES

0:02:56 > 0:02:58At her age she should be getting

0:02:58 > 0:03:01between 11 and 12 hours' sleep a night.

0:03:01 > 0:03:02She only gets ten.

0:03:04 > 0:03:08It just consumes your whole life, just one little thing,

0:03:08 > 0:03:10one word - sleep.

0:03:10 > 0:03:11Don't throw Betty.

0:03:12 > 0:03:13Wow, poor Betty.

0:03:14 > 0:03:17Right, do you want that?

0:03:17 > 0:03:20Elise is part of a new generation who have grown up handling

0:03:20 > 0:03:23mobile technology from a very young age.

0:03:25 > 0:03:27Jayne and Nick both work.

0:03:27 > 0:03:29Like thousands of parents across the country,

0:03:29 > 0:03:32they use tech to entertain their child in the evenings.

0:03:33 > 0:03:37'So, I end up asking her if she wants it,

0:03:37 > 0:03:40'because then I can come and get stuff done.'

0:03:40 > 0:03:45In everyone's perfect little world, that isn't going to happen,

0:03:45 > 0:03:49but unfortunately it's the real world and it does.

0:03:54 > 0:04:00There's hardly anywhere for families to turn to for quick, free advice.

0:04:00 > 0:04:05Charities, like the Children's Sleep Charity, have stepped in to help.

0:04:05 > 0:04:07They promote good sleep across the country,

0:04:07 > 0:04:11but in their hometown of Doncaster they've gone much further.

0:04:12 > 0:04:15Here, parents can refer themselves to a children's sleep service and

0:04:15 > 0:04:20get an appointment with specially trained sleep advisers within weeks.

0:04:20 > 0:04:22Hi! Yes, Colleen, do you want to come through?

0:04:25 > 0:04:26What are you expecting to see today?

0:04:26 > 0:04:30A full clinic of parents desperate for some sleep.

0:04:30 > 0:04:31She looks tired.

0:04:31 > 0:04:34She's shattered, yeah. Absolutely shattered.

0:04:34 > 0:04:37The total hours of sleep he gets a night, would you say about an hour?

0:04:37 > 0:04:39About an hour.

0:04:39 > 0:04:42For seven weeks it was every night,

0:04:42 > 0:04:45to the point of, it was like, "We can't do this any more."

0:04:45 > 0:04:47This had been every day since he were born,

0:04:47 > 0:04:50but it's been, no, it's been an all-life battle.

0:04:51 > 0:04:55So, what's getting in the way of our children's sleep?

0:04:55 > 0:04:57Both parents now often work,

0:04:57 > 0:04:59so evenings are busier in many households.

0:05:01 > 0:05:05Plus, there were no smartphones or tablets ten years ago.

0:05:05 > 0:05:09Now many adults and children can't live without them.

0:05:09 > 0:05:11IPad just before bed with the TV on.

0:05:11 > 0:05:13How common is it that you hear that?

0:05:13 > 0:05:16All the time. Absolutely all the time.

0:05:16 > 0:05:17Especially with the teenagers.

0:05:17 > 0:05:20It's like asking them to remove their right arm

0:05:20 > 0:05:24If you ask them to get rid of the mobile or their iPad.

0:05:24 > 0:05:26So, this is a new thing, a new phenomenon interfering with kids?

0:05:26 > 0:05:27Yeah, absolutely.

0:05:33 > 0:05:37Jayne's postcode makes her eligible for the charity's one-to-one

0:05:37 > 0:05:41help to get Elise to sleep before 10.30pm.

0:05:42 > 0:05:45'At the minute, she's saying, "I don't want to get in bed,'

0:05:45 > 0:05:47"I don't want to go to sleep."

0:05:47 > 0:05:51We'll give her her milk, and from that point she's, you know,

0:05:51 > 0:05:54running round, she'll pick up the tablet and watch things on that.

0:05:54 > 0:05:57- Is the TV on at this point?- Yeah.

0:05:57 > 0:06:01- The technology, as far as the lights on any screen...- Yeah.

0:06:01 > 0:06:03- ..will keep her awake.- Yeah.

0:06:03 > 0:06:08- We do ask that parents switch it all off an hour before bedtime...- Right.

0:06:08 > 0:06:11- ..to give the brain time to relax. - Mmhm.

0:06:14 > 0:06:18Our bodies release a hormone called melatonin when the sun goes down,

0:06:18 > 0:06:20which makes us feel sleepy.

0:06:22 > 0:06:24But the blue light from TVs,

0:06:24 > 0:06:28smartphones and tablets tells our brains it's daytime,

0:06:28 > 0:06:32which reduces melatonin, making going to sleep much harder.

0:06:34 > 0:06:37And did you think that because she's quiet when she's in front of

0:06:37 > 0:06:41- the tablet that that must be kind of calming her down?- Yeah.

0:06:41 > 0:06:44I mean, I wouldn't have thought that just having the television on,

0:06:44 > 0:06:46even if she isn't looking at it,

0:06:46 > 0:06:50would be affecting what's going on inside her brain.

0:06:50 > 0:06:53- Do you think that'd be difficult for you?- To stop that?

0:06:53 > 0:06:55It probably would, because she will...

0:06:55 > 0:06:58she will have a tantrum about it, I know she will.

0:06:58 > 0:06:59THEY LAUGH

0:07:00 > 0:07:0592% of families say their child's sleep issue is resolved after

0:07:05 > 0:07:07using the Doncaster clinics,

0:07:07 > 0:07:10yet a sleep service like this is rare in the UK.

0:07:12 > 0:07:14In most parts of the country,

0:07:14 > 0:07:17families must depend on their GP, who may refer them to

0:07:17 > 0:07:21a specialist consultant which can take four months.

0:07:22 > 0:07:24What's the worst you've seen

0:07:24 > 0:07:27in terms of how bad poor sleep can affect a family?

0:07:27 > 0:07:29We've seen some really terrible situations.

0:07:29 > 0:07:34Family break-up. We've seen parents that have had to give up work.

0:07:34 > 0:07:38We've even had cases of breakdowns, you know, parents really

0:07:38 > 0:07:41suffering with their mental health because of the lack of sleep.

0:07:45 > 0:07:48More than 80% of children in the UK have

0:07:48 > 0:07:50a mobile phone by the age of 12...

0:07:53 > 0:07:56..and 90% by the age of 15.

0:07:57 > 0:08:01Could we get a hands-up who perhaps use a mobile phone

0:08:01 > 0:08:03in the last hour before going to bed?

0:08:05 > 0:08:07- So, pretty much all of you. - HE LAUGHS

0:08:08 > 0:08:12Teachers at this school in Yorkshire have become concerned that

0:08:12 > 0:08:15poor sleep is affecting students' performance.

0:08:16 > 0:08:20And so, what you have here, this is like a mini-sun.

0:08:21 > 0:08:25Working with Panorama, sleep expert Guy Meadows

0:08:25 > 0:08:28has come to give these pupils some sleep education.

0:08:28 > 0:08:30It's rarely covered in most schools.

0:08:32 > 0:08:35But you may actually know that some of them actually have what's

0:08:35 > 0:08:36called a blue light filter in them.

0:08:36 > 0:08:38If you swish up from the bottom,

0:08:38 > 0:08:41and if you press this button here, if you watch the screen...

0:08:42 > 0:08:44What happened to it?

0:08:44 > 0:08:48Most of the 11- and 12-year-olds in this classroom say they're on

0:08:48 > 0:08:50their phones at bedtime.

0:08:50 > 0:08:53Why did this school decide to prioritise sleep and make it

0:08:53 > 0:08:56an important issue for students and parents?

0:08:56 > 0:09:00If a child hasn't enough sleep, it is a huge barrier,

0:09:00 > 0:09:03an enormous barrier for the child to try and overcome,

0:09:03 > 0:09:07just so they can engage at a level playing field with the other

0:09:07 > 0:09:09children within their class or with their peers.

0:09:10 > 0:09:12And what kinds of things are you seeing?

0:09:12 > 0:09:14The behaviours are exhibited in many ways.

0:09:14 > 0:09:16I mean, you obviously see the children who are quite

0:09:16 > 0:09:19obviously tired and distracted.

0:09:19 > 0:09:22You see the children whose energy levels drop

0:09:22 > 0:09:24during the course of the day.

0:09:24 > 0:09:28And we know that you're twice as likely to solve a problem

0:09:28 > 0:09:31after a good night's sleep compared to a poor night's sleep.

0:09:33 > 0:09:36The teacher and parents of these children told us they're

0:09:36 > 0:09:39worried they aren't getting the sleep they need.

0:09:39 > 0:09:43They each get around seven hours' sleep a night.

0:09:43 > 0:09:46At their age, doctors recommend children should get between

0:09:46 > 0:09:47nine and eleven hours.

0:09:49 > 0:09:51- So, did you learn anything new today?- Yeah.- Yeah.

0:09:51 > 0:09:53That you can turn the blue light off on your phone.

0:09:53 > 0:09:54Yeah, or else you can't get to sleep.

0:09:54 > 0:09:59Do you think you'd find it hard to give up using phones and tablets?

0:09:59 > 0:10:02- Yeah.- Yeah.- Our mum tries taking it off me, but I don't let her.

0:10:02 > 0:10:04Because, like, you're just texting your friends

0:10:04 > 0:10:07and they text back and you can't not text back.

0:10:07 > 0:10:10So, it's not just the light from the phones, but also, like, you feel

0:10:10 > 0:10:12- like you can't switch your phone off...- Yeah.

0:10:12 > 0:10:15- ..because you might be missing out on something.- Yeah.

0:10:15 > 0:10:17Even with a blue light filter,

0:10:17 > 0:10:20technology gets in the way of good sleep.

0:10:22 > 0:10:25What I would like to do now is some little exercises with you.

0:10:26 > 0:10:29Guy will test their concentration,

0:10:29 > 0:10:32short-term memory and ability to solve problems.

0:10:33 > 0:10:36Just to find out how lack of sleep

0:10:36 > 0:10:39might be affecting your daytime performance.

0:10:41 > 0:10:45Most parents to all they can to help their children get on at school...

0:10:45 > 0:10:47I can't do it, it's too fast.

0:10:47 > 0:10:49..yet they don't prioritise their sleep.

0:10:49 > 0:10:54I think what we need is a bit of a shift in our culture,

0:10:54 > 0:10:56in our education around sleep,

0:10:56 > 0:10:58and to recognise that, actually,

0:10:58 > 0:11:00sleep is one of the most powerful

0:11:00 > 0:11:02performance enhancers known to human kind.

0:11:02 > 0:11:07And if you are serious about your child's academic performance,

0:11:07 > 0:11:11then schools and parents should be really helping their children

0:11:11 > 0:11:14to get good quality sleep on a regular basis.

0:11:15 > 0:11:19This is because, when we're asleep, our brains aren't resting.

0:11:20 > 0:11:22They're incredibly active,

0:11:22 > 0:11:26consolidating and storing all that we've learnt during the day.

0:11:26 > 0:11:29While we're asleep, memories that were stored away

0:11:29 > 0:11:32during the day that were in short term storage,

0:11:32 > 0:11:34that are just sitting there,

0:11:34 > 0:11:36haven't been properly hard-wired

0:11:36 > 0:11:39into our brain, are transferred up to our cortex

0:11:39 > 0:11:41and are hard-wired for the future

0:11:41 > 0:11:44so that we can retrieve that information if we need it.

0:11:44 > 0:11:49If you haven't slept as well, you won't have processed your learning

0:11:49 > 0:11:51during the night in the same way.

0:11:54 > 0:11:55Guy will give the children

0:11:55 > 0:11:58a new evening routine to encourage better sleep.

0:12:00 > 0:12:02Ways to do this include

0:12:02 > 0:12:06going to bed earlier and at the same time every night...

0:12:08 > 0:12:10..eating a snack like a banana or porridge,

0:12:10 > 0:12:13and avoiding fizzy drinks, chocolate or coffee...

0:12:16 > 0:12:19..a bath or shower 30 minutes before bedtime...

0:12:20 > 0:12:24..and no TV, phones or tablets in the hour before bed.

0:12:31 > 0:12:35When a child has a serious sleep problem, they can be referred

0:12:35 > 0:12:36to a hospital sleep lab for

0:12:36 > 0:12:39overnight monitoring and investigation.

0:12:41 > 0:12:44Families must wait many months for an appointment.

0:12:44 > 0:12:47This sleep service at Sheffield Children's Hospital has seen

0:12:47 > 0:12:50a ten-fold increase in referrals

0:12:50 > 0:12:52over the past decade.

0:12:52 > 0:12:53For many parents,

0:12:53 > 0:12:55this is kind of a last chance saloon, isn't it?

0:12:55 > 0:12:57They've tried a lot of different things

0:12:57 > 0:12:59and this is their last option

0:12:59 > 0:13:01of trying to work out why their child won't sleep.

0:13:01 > 0:13:04It can be for some families, but not all of them.

0:13:04 > 0:13:06Some of our families come on with a known condition

0:13:06 > 0:13:08and it's just assessing that condition.

0:13:08 > 0:13:11There are other families that do come that are kind of...

0:13:11 > 0:13:15really kind of at the end of their tether with the child's sleep.

0:13:15 > 0:13:17Lack of sleep awareness means that

0:13:17 > 0:13:20many parents don't know what's best for a child's sleep,

0:13:20 > 0:13:24even when it's being observed overnight in hospital.

0:13:25 > 0:13:29I had one parent who had a full bottle of Lucozade,

0:13:29 > 0:13:32and the child drank that full bottle of Lucozade

0:13:32 > 0:13:35over the course of the night, woke up and drank it,

0:13:35 > 0:13:36and that's got caffeine in it.

0:13:36 > 0:13:38I actually questioned the parent,

0:13:38 > 0:13:40they didn't realise it had caffeine in it.

0:13:42 > 0:13:46Ten-year-old Harley is spending the night under observation in the lab.

0:13:46 > 0:13:49He gets an average of five hours' sleep a night.

0:13:49 > 0:13:52He should be getting nearly ten.

0:13:54 > 0:13:56Hello! Hi.

0:13:56 > 0:13:58- You must be Harley.- Yeah.

0:13:58 > 0:14:00Hello, I'm Jenny. Nice to meet you.

0:14:00 > 0:14:01Nice to meet you, too.

0:14:01 > 0:14:03- So it takes you a while to go to sleep.- Mmm.

0:14:03 > 0:14:06- And do you wake up in the middle of the night?- Yeah.

0:14:06 > 0:14:08Yeah. What happens when you wake up?

0:14:09 > 0:14:10I shout on my mum.

0:14:11 > 0:14:15He gets up at, like, four, five o'clock, and then he's up, ready...

0:14:15 > 0:14:19- For the day?- Yeah. School uniform and everything on, so...

0:14:19 > 0:14:21What's it like when you're at school, Harley?

0:14:21 > 0:14:24It's all right. I don't get on with people very well, though.

0:14:24 > 0:14:26- Really?- Yeah.

0:14:26 > 0:14:29- Do you think sleeping badly has got anything to do with that?- Yeah.

0:14:29 > 0:14:34- In what way?- Cos, let's say they're saying I can't play with them,

0:14:34 > 0:14:37I'll just get moody and stroppy and that with them.

0:14:37 > 0:14:40But then I get told off.

0:14:40 > 0:14:43- So...- He's got to be prompted constantly

0:14:43 > 0:14:46by teachers to do his work, and if he's not constantly

0:14:46 > 0:14:47got someone on his back prompting him,

0:14:47 > 0:14:51- then his work won't get done. - What medication does he take?

0:14:51 > 0:14:52I've got it in my bag.

0:14:53 > 0:14:54I think it's melatonin.

0:14:54 > 0:14:58'Harley has been prescribed a synthetic version of melatonin,

0:14:58 > 0:15:00'the hormone that makes us feel sleepy.'

0:15:00 > 0:15:04- Yeah, it is melatonin.- Yeah, but it's got a different name.- Circadin.

0:15:04 > 0:15:06Melatonin.

0:15:06 > 0:15:07It made a difference to start off with,

0:15:07 > 0:15:11but now it's not, he's back again to how he was.

0:15:11 > 0:15:15Do you think that the solution might be taking tablets,

0:15:15 > 0:15:17or do you think the solution might be

0:15:17 > 0:15:18doing something a bit differently?

0:15:20 > 0:15:22I'd prefer the solution be something different than having

0:15:22 > 0:15:24to take medication for the rest of his life,

0:15:24 > 0:15:27so I'm willing to try a different outlook to help him to sleep.

0:15:30 > 0:15:32Right, so these are the wires, OK? We're going to stick...

0:15:32 > 0:15:35- Do they hurt, or... - They don't hurt at all.

0:15:35 > 0:15:39Melatonin is only licensed for use by those over 55.

0:15:40 > 0:15:42But GPs can prescribe it to younger people

0:15:42 > 0:15:44at their own discretion.

0:15:44 > 0:15:50NHS data analysed by Panorama shows NHS England spent nearly

0:15:50 > 0:15:54£14 million on unlicensed melatonin in 2015 -

0:15:54 > 0:15:58ten times more prescriptions than a decade ago.

0:15:59 > 0:16:02Leading consultants have told us prescribing to children

0:16:02 > 0:16:04has become increasingly common,

0:16:04 > 0:16:08and it might not even help them in the long run.

0:16:09 > 0:16:12A lot of these medications are not licensed for children.

0:16:12 > 0:16:15I think a lot of children are prescribed medication

0:16:15 > 0:16:17which may initially have some benefit,

0:16:17 > 0:16:20but the benefit then wanes and they don't have

0:16:20 > 0:16:24any means of improving their sleep habits.

0:16:25 > 0:16:28What are you measuring with all of these wires?

0:16:28 > 0:16:33We are looking at brainwaves, which help us with the sleep staging.

0:16:33 > 0:16:35We record eye movements to help us identify REM sleep

0:16:35 > 0:16:37and when someone's becoming drowsy.

0:16:37 > 0:16:40And then we pop some stickers on their legs,

0:16:40 > 0:16:43and that's to look for limb movements,

0:16:43 > 0:16:46and then we're also looking at respiratory things as well.

0:16:46 > 0:16:47So, that's everything on.

0:16:55 > 0:16:58It's two hours since he turned in and he's still awake?

0:16:58 > 0:17:00He's still awake at the moment.

0:17:01 > 0:17:03Just can't seem to settle.

0:17:03 > 0:17:07This is... this is poor quality sleep.

0:17:08 > 0:17:12The investigation showed no physical reason for Harley's sleep problem.

0:17:12 > 0:17:15The specialist team will continue to work with his family

0:17:15 > 0:17:18to try and establish the cause of his poor sleep,

0:17:18 > 0:17:20looking at changes to his bedtime routine

0:17:20 > 0:17:22and reviewing his sleep medication.

0:17:30 > 0:17:32There's another reason that

0:17:32 > 0:17:34poor sleep is increasingly common for children -

0:17:34 > 0:17:35obesity.

0:17:37 > 0:17:40More than a third of today's teenagers are overweight or obese,

0:17:40 > 0:17:43leaving them more likely to suffer from sleep apnoea,

0:17:43 > 0:17:45a serious sleep disorder.

0:17:47 > 0:17:50Why are obese people more likely to suffer from sleep apnoea?

0:17:50 > 0:17:53Apnoea is kind of the posh term for a pause in breathing.

0:17:53 > 0:17:57It's to do with the extra fat around the airway.

0:17:57 > 0:17:59Um, so, obviously when you go to sleep

0:17:59 > 0:18:02you lose a little but of muscle tone around airway,

0:18:02 > 0:18:06so any extra pressure on your airway can then affect

0:18:06 > 0:18:08how that functions while you're asleep.

0:18:11 > 0:18:16Sleep apnoea cases in children have risen by 25% since 2012.

0:18:16 > 0:18:18DEEP SNORING

0:18:21 > 0:18:24Yet we now know that while obesity can cause sleep problems,

0:18:24 > 0:18:27poor sleep can also lead to obesity.

0:18:27 > 0:18:29It's a vicious cycle.

0:18:31 > 0:18:32So we have two hormones in our body

0:18:32 > 0:18:36that control whether we feel hungry and whether we feel full.

0:18:38 > 0:18:42And the balance of those hormones, certainly from the adult research,

0:18:42 > 0:18:44are abnormal when people haven't had enough sleep.

0:18:44 > 0:18:48So it may well be that the hormonal imbalance

0:18:48 > 0:18:50is what drives people to want to

0:18:50 > 0:18:52eat more if they haven't had enough sleep.

0:18:56 > 0:18:5913-year-old Ellie is overnighting in the sleep lab.

0:18:59 > 0:19:02She gets as little as two and a half hours' sleep a night.

0:19:02 > 0:19:06The lab is investigating whether a medical condition like sleep apnoea

0:19:06 > 0:19:08might be behind it.

0:19:10 > 0:19:15Ellie's poor sleep began after she badly broke her foot six years ago.

0:19:17 > 0:19:19How old was she when she had her accident?

0:19:19 > 0:19:21- I was seven.- Seven.

0:19:22 > 0:19:24She had to learn to stand and walk again,

0:19:24 > 0:19:26and she started putting on weight.

0:19:28 > 0:19:30So we noticed the weigh gain there with the cheeks and that.

0:19:30 > 0:19:33When you're sat there not exercising,

0:19:33 > 0:19:34the weight just come on.

0:19:34 > 0:19:36We kept her off chocolate, we kept her off crisps.

0:19:36 > 0:19:39Ellie would wake up because of the pain,

0:19:39 > 0:19:41so then we'd be up about two in the morning.

0:19:41 > 0:19:45Then it got me tired. It were like having a newborn baby again.

0:19:45 > 0:19:47This is... This is clean for her.

0:19:47 > 0:19:48This is clean.

0:19:50 > 0:19:52- This is where you try and get your sleep?- Yeah.

0:19:52 > 0:19:55'Ellie has been on a diet for six months,

0:19:55 > 0:19:57'and she's lost two and a half stone.'

0:19:57 > 0:20:00So, at the moment you're trying a personal trainer.

0:20:00 > 0:20:01You're on a diet now?

0:20:01 > 0:20:04- Yes.- I'm not allowed any carbs after four

0:20:04 > 0:20:06and I've got to have lots of protein

0:20:06 > 0:20:09and vegetables and fruit.

0:20:09 > 0:20:12Sometimes I just... I get sick of it.

0:20:16 > 0:20:19Today, Ellie is booked in to see a nurse from the sleep lab

0:20:19 > 0:20:21for a follow-up.

0:20:22 > 0:20:26They've ruled out everything, like, night-terrors, sleepwalking,

0:20:26 > 0:20:29and you didn't have obstructive sleep apnoea. Didn't show

0:20:29 > 0:20:32any signs. That's negative, so that's good.

0:20:32 > 0:20:35With sleep apnoea ruled out, the hospital suspects that Ellie

0:20:35 > 0:20:38might just need a better sleep routine.

0:20:39 > 0:20:41What technology do you have in your room?

0:20:41 > 0:20:42I have my telly.

0:20:42 > 0:20:44IPad.

0:20:44 > 0:20:47- IPhone.- Two iPads.- IPads, iPhone.

0:20:47 > 0:20:49Do you use these to settle off to sleep?

0:20:49 > 0:20:51Before I go to bed, like,

0:20:51 > 0:20:54I might sit on my phone or my iPad for a bit.

0:20:55 > 0:20:58With her sleep pattern, do you know, like, her weight gain,

0:20:58 > 0:20:59if she doesn't sleep,

0:20:59 > 0:21:02does that affect her weight and things like that?

0:21:02 > 0:21:04- Definitely, definitely.- Right.

0:21:04 > 0:21:07That's why, when she were dieting, when she's had weeks where

0:21:07 > 0:21:10she hasn't slept right well and we've been at training

0:21:10 > 0:21:12and she's gained weight and I'm thinking,

0:21:12 > 0:21:14- "How can she?" - You know when you're tired?

0:21:14 > 0:21:16I did a night shift on Friday night,

0:21:16 > 0:21:19I couldn't eat, and then when I did come round

0:21:19 > 0:21:24I wanted to eat and craved all the fattiest food you can imagine.

0:21:27 > 0:21:29The research backs this up. Not only is

0:21:29 > 0:21:32poor sleep thought to affect our hormones,

0:21:32 > 0:21:36it's also shown to make us want unhealthy foods.

0:21:37 > 0:21:41There's been some excellent studies done in the States with teenagers -

0:21:41 > 0:21:45it showed that if you sleep-deprive teenagers

0:21:45 > 0:21:47they eat about 9% more calories.

0:21:48 > 0:21:51And they're more likely to choose sugars, starchy foods.

0:21:51 > 0:21:54And if you added that up over an entire year

0:21:54 > 0:21:57they would be increasing their weight

0:21:57 > 0:21:59by about four kilos during the year.

0:22:00 > 0:22:04Ellie's new routine includes no tech an hour before bed,

0:22:04 > 0:22:06and a later bath time.

0:22:07 > 0:22:10It might help both her sleep and her weight loss.

0:22:11 > 0:22:14Does it ring true to you that when you've had a bad night,

0:22:14 > 0:22:18you don't want to exercise, you're hungry for the wrong kinds of foods.

0:22:18 > 0:22:19Did that ring bells?

0:22:19 > 0:22:24Yeah, um, sometimes when I've had a really terrible night's sleep,

0:22:24 > 0:22:28then I'm just like, "Oh, do I have to go training today?

0:22:28 > 0:22:29"Do I have to have that?

0:22:29 > 0:22:31"Can I just, like, have a sandwich

0:22:31 > 0:22:34"or can I have McDonalds or something like that?"

0:22:34 > 0:22:36But I did learn quite a lot.

0:22:39 > 0:22:41Two and a half-year-old Elise

0:22:41 > 0:22:45has been given a new, earlier bedtime routine.

0:22:48 > 0:22:52Until now, settling her has taken up to three hours.

0:22:56 > 0:22:59We don't know how Elise is going to react to the change of it all,

0:22:59 > 0:23:03cos she's been so used to doing what she does.

0:23:03 > 0:23:05- Shall we take it upstairs? - Shall we take it upstairs?

0:23:05 > 0:23:08Taking the tablet away from her on a night

0:23:08 > 0:23:10and switching the television off,

0:23:10 > 0:23:13is that going to create a tantrum?

0:23:13 > 0:23:16Elise, come on. It's not playtime now, is it?

0:23:16 > 0:23:18SHE CRIES

0:23:18 > 0:23:22We're nervous, apprehensive, fearful that it won't work,

0:23:22 > 0:23:24and there's a lot of pressure on it as well.

0:23:24 > 0:23:26You kind of feel like it's the last resort.

0:23:26 > 0:23:29- No!- Come on, into...- No!

0:23:29 > 0:23:33The charity agrees a routine that parents are comfortable with.

0:23:33 > 0:23:38One option is gradually retreating away from a child's bedside

0:23:38 > 0:23:39as they fall asleep.

0:23:39 > 0:23:41- Whee!- Whee!

0:23:41 > 0:23:43Jayne and Nick have gone for the alternative.

0:23:43 > 0:23:46They will put Elise to bed and leave the room.

0:23:46 > 0:23:48Don't go!

0:23:48 > 0:23:50We're just going to go out there, darling.

0:23:50 > 0:23:54When she cries, they should return briefly to settle her,

0:23:54 > 0:23:56repeating until she falls asleep.

0:23:56 > 0:23:58Daddy!

0:23:58 > 0:23:59Parents today are more likely to be

0:23:59 > 0:24:02gentler with their children than a generation ago.

0:24:03 > 0:24:06Many worry that allowing a child to cry

0:24:06 > 0:24:08could do them long-term damage.

0:24:08 > 0:24:10SHE CRIES

0:24:13 > 0:24:17Any feisty child will protest and want their own way.

0:24:17 > 0:24:21It's helpful, I think, for parents to think about other situations

0:24:21 > 0:24:24where a child may cry, but nonetheless they would promote that.

0:24:24 > 0:24:26Say, for example, having your child vaccinated.

0:24:26 > 0:24:28We know it's in their best interests, so we still do it.

0:24:28 > 0:24:30Night-night, it's OK.

0:24:30 > 0:24:34What evidence is there that it doesn't harm a child if they cry

0:24:34 > 0:24:37as they're learning how to put themselves to sleep?

0:24:37 > 0:24:40We do have some really very, very reassuring research

0:24:40 > 0:24:42on this exact point.

0:24:43 > 0:24:47And what they found was there was absolutely no difference between

0:24:47 > 0:24:48children who'd had the intervention

0:24:48 > 0:24:51and children who'd had no intervention at all.

0:24:51 > 0:24:55So managing child behaviour in an appropriate way

0:24:55 > 0:24:57has no long-term repercussions for the child,

0:24:57 > 0:25:01and to the contrary, has really positive benefits for the family.

0:25:01 > 0:25:03It's a very personal choice,

0:25:03 > 0:25:06and there is no right or wrong method.

0:25:06 > 0:25:08But letting a child cry before

0:25:08 > 0:25:10returning quickly does not harm them,

0:25:10 > 0:25:13even though, like many other parents,

0:25:13 > 0:25:14Jayne has struggled with it.

0:25:14 > 0:25:18You just get this rack of guilt cos you've just made your child cry.

0:25:18 > 0:25:22It just makes you feel the most terrible person in the world.

0:25:24 > 0:25:26After only two days of using this approach,

0:25:26 > 0:25:30it seems to be working for Elise, Jayne and Nick.

0:25:30 > 0:25:35I think not using the tablet and not using the television

0:25:35 > 0:25:37has calmed her down so now,

0:25:37 > 0:25:41- in two nights, we're an hour and a quarter earlier than...- Yeah.

0:25:41 > 0:25:44..what became the norm.

0:25:46 > 0:25:48Welcome back.

0:25:48 > 0:25:51It's a week since these pupils in Yorkshire

0:25:51 > 0:25:53were given tech-free sleep routines.

0:25:53 > 0:25:57All of your friends are, like, texting each other and stuff

0:25:57 > 0:26:00and then you can't be in the conversation,

0:26:00 > 0:26:02- but you get used to it. - You get used to it.

0:26:02 > 0:26:05It's annoying, but it helps sleep.

0:26:05 > 0:26:09It's meant they're sleeping an average of an hour more a night.

0:26:10 > 0:26:14They've re-done the tests, and the results are striking.

0:26:14 > 0:26:19So, the first exercise that we did was your memory tests.

0:26:19 > 0:26:26And what we actually found is that your memory tests improved by 57%.

0:26:26 > 0:26:29And then we did a little focus and attention exercise,

0:26:29 > 0:26:31and actually you guys improved

0:26:31 > 0:26:34your ability to be focused and attentive by 44%.

0:26:34 > 0:26:38And then the final test that we did was the problem solving exercise

0:26:38 > 0:26:44and we found that your problem solving ability increase by 61%.

0:26:44 > 0:26:45So well done!

0:26:45 > 0:26:49These results are backed up by existing research that shows

0:26:49 > 0:26:53only an hour less sleep over three consecutive nights

0:26:53 > 0:26:55can significantly affect brain performance.

0:26:57 > 0:27:01Some amazing research showed that if children are sleep deprived

0:27:01 > 0:27:03by just an hour, it can actually reduce their

0:27:03 > 0:27:06cognitive academic performance by up to two whole years.

0:27:06 > 0:27:10So it's the equivalent of them being two whole years behind.

0:27:12 > 0:27:15We take sleep for granted, but it's becoming increasingly clear that

0:27:15 > 0:27:17a child who sleeps well is

0:27:17 > 0:27:19more likely to be able to perform at school,

0:27:19 > 0:27:21to control their emotions,

0:27:21 > 0:27:24to stay well and to maintain a healthy weight.

0:27:27 > 0:27:31Most children's sleep problems can't be prescribed away.

0:27:31 > 0:27:36We need a change in attitudes so we value good sleep as a vital part

0:27:36 > 0:27:38of our children's health and wellbeing.

0:27:40 > 0:27:45If you could manufacture a pill that improved your cognitive function,

0:27:45 > 0:27:47that improved your emotional regulation,

0:27:47 > 0:27:49that stopped you reaching for

0:27:49 > 0:27:52the biscuit tin and having the munchies in the afternoon,

0:27:52 > 0:27:53you'd be a millionaire.

0:27:53 > 0:27:57And actually, it's there. That is what sleep can help you with.

0:27:57 > 0:27:59And it's free.

0:28:03 > 0:28:04Did you imagine that just

0:28:04 > 0:28:08- simple things like this could solve your problems?- Not at all.

0:28:09 > 0:28:12- Not at all.- And what's frustrating about that,

0:28:12 > 0:28:16the thing is, you get so much advice about diet and food

0:28:16 > 0:28:21and five-a-day and seven-a-day and whatever the norm is today,

0:28:21 > 0:28:24but you don't get any advice about sleep.