Daily caffeine intake taking toll on primary school kids in Oz

Melbourne -  One in five primary school students are getting a daily caffeine hit from soft drinks and chocolate which is keeping them awake at night and is causing sleepiness in the classroom the following day, a new study has revealed.

A Murdoch Children’s Research Institute study of students - some as young as five - from 22 Australian schools found that 40 percent of students had sleep problems.

Academic Jon Quach and his research team found that children were having trouble sleeping and were waking at night because of the caffeine that they had consumed.

Sleep problems were also linked to children who watched more than two hours of TV every day.

The study found that, one in three children had mild sleep problem and one in 10 had severe sleep problem, which lead to poor child and parent mental health.

Dietitian Lisa Renn was astounded to hear that parents were giving their five-year-old kids a daily jolt of caffeine via cola, sports and energy drinks and even chocolate.

“Some parents have lost perspective. It is lazy and neglectful parenting,” the Daily Telegraph quoted Renn as saying.

“There are plenty of quick and nutritious snacks. Parents need to be firm and say no,” she said.

Renn said that two cans of cola had as much as 95mg of caffeine whereas chocolate bars had 20 to 60mg of caffeine.

Parenting Research Centre executive officer Warren Cann said that some parents “would not think to make a link between what kids are drinking and watching, and their behaviour and sleep patterns.

“Pester power can be a factor. When kids really want something some parents don’t know how to say no,” he said.

“If you have it in the house, make sure you link it to a special occasion such as the one night a week you get takeaway so kids learn it is for some times and not others,” he said.

Principals’ Association Victorian president Gabrielle Leigh said that kids being tired at school was a major problem.

“Children might not feel like breakfast if they are still hyped up, which makes them tired and makes it hard to concentrate,” she said.

The study, found sleep problems included difficulty going to sleep, unwillingness to sleep alone, night waking and nightmares.

Cann said that beating pester power involved children hearing the word no and accepting it.

He said that changing children’s behaviour might take time and advised parents to first empathise with their child - “I know you love Coke” - but explain that it is a sometimes food and say no while offering alternatives to them.

Cann said that parents should be quiet but firm - and never go back on their word, otherwise “you are teaching them that bad behaviour will change your mind,”

The study is to be published in an upcoming edition of Journal Of Child And Pediatric Health.