Prescription Sleep Aid Soars For Younger Americans

Reuters ^ | October 25, 2005

[Clintonfatigued]

"The pattern of insomnia in children reflects difficulty in getting to sleep, whereas with adults it's a problem staying asleep."-- Robert Epstein, Medco's chief medical officer

[Clintonfatigued]

"The numbers were even more startling among children aged 10 to 19 with use of sleep aids up 85 percent and spending up a whopping 223 percent over 2000 levels."

I'm not surprised by this. It's the amount of homework and stress over tests that's causing most of this trend. I'll bet homeschooled children don't have this problem.

[Izzy Dunne]

It's the amount of homework and stress over tests that's causing most of this trend.

You think homework and test-stress have increased 200+ percent in five years?

I'm all for homeschooling (my kid is homeschooled), but I'll bet it's the parents doing it, and the "discovery" of this "problem" which can be "corrected" by a drug.

Give 'em fresh air and exercise. Take away the TV / Nintendo.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

Funny.........after several hours work on the farm after school every night....I never had this problem.

[AlaskaErik]

I find that when I work hard sleep comes easily. No pills for me.

[A CA Guy]

I bet this is given to children mostly for the benefit of their parents.

[LibFreeOrDie]

More likely, it's all the stuff that kids have today - cell phones, instant messaging, computer/video games, personal TVs, iPods, DVDs, ... - that keeps them awake.

Many of the images they see before going to bed are not calming ones.

And they've been drinking caffeinated soft drinks all day, too.

[xrp]

"The pattern of insomnia in children reflects difficulty in getting to sleep

They aren't outside for 2-3 hours a day running around, burning off energy. Kids today play almost exclusively INDOORS. I haven't seen kids riding bikes or big wheels in the cul-de-sacs in over a decade!

whereas with adults it's a problem staying asleep."

Well, duh, energetic kids keep them awake, plus stress over jobs, traffic, taxes and everything else that is Bush's fault!

[tfecw]

"Medco's data analysis from the first six months of 2004 showed that 15 percent of the children taking sleep medicines were also using drugs to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but it was not clear whether the disorder or the medication treating it was causing the sleep problems."

That 15 percent seems to reflect what you said in your second paragraph. I think the other 75 could be stemmed by your 3rd paragraph. Good post.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Some bright individual should sell audio tapes of Bill Clinton's keynote speech from the 1988 Democrat Convention.

That would put a Tasmanian Devil in heat to sleep!!

[Clintonfatigued]

The volume of homework has become absurd. My 11 y/o nephew has so much homework, he can't carry his back pack. And my niece sometimes spends four hours on homework. They are hardly alone.

Teaching has been dumbed down to endless repitition for repitition's own sake, accompanied by busywork.

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

I'm not surprised by this. It's the amount of homework and stress over tests that's causing most of this trend. I'll bet homeschooled children don't have this problem. "

I think it's too many cokes (caffine) and sugar. And too much noise in the environment. The TV the Radio, I PODS....too much noise and no peace. People need to start building at least one hour of complete silence before bedtime into their schedule. It helps to pave the way for sleep.

[TheGeezer]

What homework? I didn't think homework was necessary anymore.

[aberaussie]

Well, I ran around outside as much as possible, did not watch that much tv, do that much homework, no nintendo, computer, etc. yet I had a terrible time going to sleep as a child. Both of my daughters have had the same problem. My parents used to give me their Miltown to make me sleep - I don't know if there were actually sleep aids for kids in the 60's and 70's.

My parents were both alcoholics, so I wonder if family disfunction could have had something to do with it - which could be the case with a lot of kids now. That would not be the case with my girls, though. We are a pretty boring, average family...not much drama here.

[operation clinton cleanup]

I never remember having a hard time getting to sleep (but I always wanted to stay up later and later as I got older), but I always had a hard time getting up early.... and still do to this day! I had no problem functioning on 4-5 hours sleep, until I hit my mid 30's.

[operation clinton cleanup]

I bet this is given to children mostly for the benefit of their parents.

Haha! That makes the most sense.... unfortunately.

[metmom]

Wear them out. How can you get tired sitting at a desk all day?

[metmom]

My son is great if he gets enough exercise. If he doesn't, look out. The schools would've had him on Ritalin for sure, which is one of a gazillion reasons that we homeschooled.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

You and the rest of the guys nailed it. I used to hate getting my butt up in the morning for school. Of course, I didn't have a Play Station II or an Xbox either.

We had full physical ed in school, then after school we'd run around and bike ride or play kickball at the park until it was time to come home. Slept like a baby.

Kids today are soft. They drink Mountain Dew for breakfast and they sit online or play video games all day.