CHILD MUST HAVE 10 HOURS IN BED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18587, 12 October 1928, Page 5

CHILD MUST HAVE 10 HOURS IN BED.

NEED FOR MORE SLEEP FOR CHILDREN STRESSED. The need for more sleep for children was emphasised by Miss J. S. D. Willson, instructress in games and gymnastics and in hygiene, physiology and first aid, when she addressed parents in the Christchurch Technical College last evening. “Most parents,” she said, “are too lenient with their ehildifcn in this respect. A child up to sjfxteen years of age should have ten hc/;rs in bed, whether she sleeps or not. If your child has a well-aired room, a good, straight bed, and an easy conscience in regard to her homework, she will go to sleep immediately her head touches the pillow. Do not let her worry about the homework that has been set her. Every child should go to bed at 8 p.m. or 8.30 p.m., and be asleep at 9 p.m., if she rises at 7 a.m. She should go earlier if she rises before 7 a.m. % "If you would have healthy, hardy children, be hard but kind, and send them to bed early. See that } T our children have a long night’s rest every night, not one night a week. See that they eat plenty of wholesome food, i*qd that they take care of their teeth. Take them to the dentist every three months, whether you think their teeth require attention or not.” Dr D. E. Hansen said that there were far too many neurotic children in New Zealand. He believed that the late hours they were allowed to keep were largely to blame. They went to bed too late. They should be allowed to go to entertainments on Friday or Saturday evenings only. To show that degree of intelligence is directly affected by physical conditions. Dr Hansen said that more than 1000 boys and girls had been tested for intelligence. The best forty were subjected to close medical examination. It was found that they had practically no physical defects. All were normal, healthy children. Every one of the lowest forty, on the other hand, had some serious physical defect.