青少年睡眠不足的危害

School homework, use of electronic devices are major causes, report says. More than 60 percent of children and teens do not get adequate sleep, which can put their health at risk, according to a report released on Sunday by the Chinese Sleep Research Society.

报告称，家庭作业及电子设备的使用是青少年睡眠不足的主要原因。中国睡眠研究会于周日发布的一份报告显示：60%以上的儿童和青少年睡眠不足，可能对身体健康带来危害。

Nearly 63 percent of Chinese youths ages 6 to 17 sleep less than eight hours a day, according to the report. Among 13- to 17-year-olds the figure is more than 81 percent. The report was based on a survey at the end of last year and in January. It covered nearly 70,000 children and teens ages 6 to 17 across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

在中国6至17岁的青少年中，近63%的人每天睡眠不足8小时，报告指出。在13至17岁的青少年中，这一数据达到81%以上。该报告基于去年年底和今年一月份开展的一项调查。该调查对象为中国大陆、香港、澳门和台湾近7万名的儿童和青少年，他们的年龄为6至17岁。

The report found that the heavy school homework load and the popularization of electronic devices were the two top causes for the inadequate sleep. From Monday to Thursday, 8.4 percent of the group would still be busy with their homework after 11 pm.

该报告发现：繁重的家庭作业以及电子设备的普及是睡眠不足的两个主要原因。周一至周四晚上11点后，调查对象中仍有8.4%的人在做作业。

More than 41 percent of children and teenagers who sleep too little use electronic devices such as computer tablets and mobile phones, the survey found, and youths whose parents use smartphones in front of them are more likely to have less sleep.

超过41%的儿童和青少年睡眠不足是使用诸如平板和手机等电子设备所致，该调查发现，青少年父母在孩子面前使用智能手机也会导致他们睡眠不足。

Other factors, such as noise and light pollution, contributed to the problem, the report said.

噪音、光污染等其它因素也是导致睡眠不足的原因，该报告表示。

The survey also indicated that good sleep results in higher efficiency in study. Students who sleep longer generally finish homework in two and three hours per day, while those who sleep less require four to six hours.

调查还表明，良好的睡眠可以提高学习效率。睡眠充足的学生通常每天只需花2至3小时做作业，而睡眠不足的学生需要4至6小时。

Gao Xuemei, vice-president of the society, said studies have shown that decreasing sleeping time for children and teenagers has been a global trend in the past 10 years, but the problem appears to be worse in East Asia, including China, largely due to a heavier load of school homework.

中国睡眠研究会副理事长高雪梅表示，研究表明：过去10年来，儿童和青少年睡眠时间减少已成为全球趋势，但睡眠不足的问题在东亚地区（包括中国）尤为严重，主要是因为家庭作业更繁重。

"Lack of sleep among children and teenagers deserves high attention, because it can seriously affect their health and growth," she said. Such a group should sleep at least eight hours a day, she added.

"儿童和青少年睡眠不足值得我们高度关注，因为这会严重影响他们的健康和成长，"她说道。儿童和青少年每天至少需要睡8小时，她补充道。

"Sleep promotes growth, protects the brain and improves the immune system," he said. "Long-term deprivation of sleep will bring risks of diseases and conditions such as dementia and cause lasting health damage."

"睡眠促进成长、保护大脑并增强免疫系统，"他说道。"长期睡眠不足会导致疾病、以及老年痴呆等症状，带来永久性的健康危害。"