For two-year-old Elise Hill, bedtime is a nightly battle that can take three and a half hours, often resulting in her falling asleep after 10pm. Her mother, Jayne, describes the ordeal as consuming their lives, leaving her feeling like a 'bad parent' and on the verge of depression. The family, from South Yorkshire, is among millions across Britain grappling with severe sleep deprivation in children.
Hospital admissions for sleep disorders among children under 14 have tripled in the past decade, according to NHS data. Specialist paediatric services are overwhelmed: Sheffield children’s hospital has seen a tenfold increase in referrals over the last ten years. A 2011 study found English students are the most sleep-deprived in Europe, with many surviving on far less than the recommended 11 hours for five-year-olds, 10 hours for ten-year-olds, and nine hours for 15-year-olds.
Experts blame increasing reliance on technology, child-centred parenting, poor diet, and parents’ own late-night screen use. The problem is costing the NHS millions in unnecessary prescriptions and GP appointments. Yet help is scarce. The only free specialist sleep clinic for children of all ages, run by the Children’s Sleep Charity in Doncaster, cannot meet demand. Founder Vicki Dawson, a former deputy headteacher, says she receives up to 200 emails a day from parents across the UK with nowhere else to turn.
Dawson, who suffered five years of sleep deprivation as a mother, warns that the lack of support is taking a severe toll on families. 'When you’re sleep-deprived and working, the last thing you’re capable of is reading a book,' she said. The charity offers one-to-one support only to local families; others must rely on online leaflets. Meanwhile, parents like Jayne Hill continue to struggle, with little end in sight.
