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Kids who lose even little bit of sleep can hurt their health, study finds

By Mallika Marshall, MD

March 20, 2023 / 5:55 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON — It can be hard to get your little ones to go to bed but a new study finds losing just a little bit of sleep could take a toll on your kids' health.

New Zealand researchers reviewed data on 100 healthy children ages 8-12 and found that getting 39 minutes less sleep per night for one week was associated with lower physical and overall well-being, ability to cope well at school, and health-related quality of life.

In fact, a loss of just 30 minutes had a significant effect on the kids.

Another reason to make sleep a priority for the entire family by creating and maintaining regular bedtime routines.

Sleep

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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