WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Minority boys get the least amount of sleep among children aged 8 to 11, says a study in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The study of 755 elementary school children found that 11 percent to 12 percent of them experience daytime sleepiness and 18 percent to 21 percent suffer fatigue during the school day.
The average sleep duration for all children was 9.63 hours, but minority (black, Asian, Hispanic, Native American or biracial) boys sleep much less than white boys and minority and white girls, said the Case Western Reserve University researchers.
The study found 43 percent of minority boys aged 10 to 11 years old reported less than the nine recommended hours of sleep, compared with 5 percent to 26 percent of children in other age, gender and minority groups. Overall, minority children were nearly four times more likely to go to bed later than 11 p.m.
The study noted that sleepiness may impair children's academic performance and lead to increased aggression and other behavioral problems.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about children and sleep.
