Study: Sleep Issues for Kids Become Mental Health Problems for Adults

Tuesday, 18 January 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Forget piano lessons and cursive—there’s really only one thing you need to learn how to master as a child: sleeping. The Wall Street Journal says children with chronic sleep problems have an increased risk of developing a mental illness later on in their lives, including anxiety disorders, depression and trouble with drugs and alcohol. Experts aren’t sure what the correlation is but some think a lack of sleep actually changes the brain. The Journal says there’s a lot of things parents can do to help their kids develop healthy sleeping patterns. Setting a strict bedtime is one. Banning TV is another.