WASHINGTON -- America's children sleep less than experts recommend while more than two-thirds experience frequent sleep problems, according to a new poll released Tuesday by the National Sleep Foundation.

NSF's seventh annual Sleep in America poll, the first to examine children's sleep habits, finds:

• Overall, children are not getting the recommended amount of sleep for their age group;
• Parents/caregivers are not always aware of the best sleep practices for their children, and many do not realize that their children aren't getting the right amount of sleep;
• Parents are unsatisfied with their child's sleep habits. A majority (76 percent) would change something about those habits, if possible;
• Many doctors (52 percent) don't ask about a child's sleep habits, although a large number (69 percent) of parents/caregivers report sleep-related problems in their children.

The 2004 Sleep in America poll looks at the sleep habits of children (infants to l0 year-olds) and their parents/primary caregivers, focusing on children's sleep habits and problems, bedtime routines, sleep environment and the sleep habits of the parents/caregivers.

"Sleep is a vital asset for a child's health and overall development, learning and safety," says Richard L. Gelula, NSF's chief executive officer. "Our new poll finds that many children are not sleeping enough and many experience sleep problems. What is troublesome is that the problems start in infancy." Gelula notes, "The poll also shows that parents are paying a price for their child's poor sleep habits, getting less sleep than they feel they need for their own optimum performance."

Kids Overall Need More Sleep:

The 2004 Sleep in America poll finds that, on average, children in every age group don't even meet the low end of the range recommended by experts for sleep during a 24-hour period.

The following is a summary of the findings for each age group, listed by the age group, the recommended sleep times for each age group, and the poll findings that each age group receives of sleep.

• Infants (3-11 mos.): 14-15 hours, 12.7 hours
• Toddlers (12-35 mos.): 12-14 hours, 11.7 hours
• Preschoolers (3-6 yrs.): 11-13 hours, 10.4 hours
• (1st-5th grade): 10-11 hours, 9.5 hours

The poll shows an apparent gap between the amount of sleep a parent/caregiver thinks a child needs and how much the child actually sleeps. A majority of parents/caregivers say their child gets the "right amount" of sleep, however, comparing the number of hours they think their child should sleep with the number of hours they say the child actually sleeps, the poll finds, overall, that kids do not get the right amount of sleep.

Children Have Poor Sleep Habits:

"Sleep problems are often overlooked and go undetected," says Jodi A. Mindell, PhD, an NSF director who chairs the 2004 poll task force. "Understanding what is normal and healthy sleep behavior is an important step towards ensuring a child's overall health. Parents/caregivers must be given information to help them recognize symptoms of sleep problems and they need to discuss their concerns with their child's doctor." Dr. Mindell is associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

More than two-thirds (69 percent) of children in the poll's age groups experience one or more sleep problems at least a few nights a week, according to their parents/caregivers. The most common sleep problems include difficulty falling asleep, nightwakings, snoring, stalling and resisting going to bed, having trouble breathing, and loud or heavy breathing while sleeping.

According to parents/caregivers, 30 percent of all children awake at least once a night needing attention including 14 percent of school-aged children. The poll also finds snoring is prevalent in preschoolers (19 percent) and school-aged children (18 percent); about 14 percent of children frequently have difficulty falling asleep at bedtime and nine percent have trouble breathing or exhibit loud or heavy breathing while sleeping at least a few nights a week, symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.

Children's daytime behaviors are often related to their sleep habits. According to parents/caregivers, about one-quarter of infants, toddlers and preschoolers appear sleepy or overtired during the day, while nearly three out of 10 school-aged children have difficulty waking in the morning.

Caffeine consumption and a television in the bedroom are major sleep disrupters for older children. According to the Sleep in America poll, 26 percent of children ages three and older drink at least one caffeinated beverage per day. Children who drink a caffeinated beverage sleep less than those who do not (9.1 vs. 9.7 hrs/night), a loss of about 3.5 hours a week.

School-aged children are the most likely to have a television in their bedroom (43 percent), although parents/caregivers report nearly one-third of preschoolers and even 20 percent of infants and toddlers have a television in the bedroom. The poll finds children with a television in their bedroom go to sleep almost 20 minutes later and sleep less than those without a television in their bedroom (9.2 vs. 9.6 hours/night), a loss of more than two hours of sleep a week.

Doctors Are Not Asking About Children's Sleep:

Despite the many indications of parent-reported sleep problems, more than one-half (52 percent) of those polled said their child's doctor did not ask about their child's sleep; the older the child, the less likely such a discussion, although older children are more likely to experience frequent sleep problems. While a doctor is more likely to ask about snoring as children get older, only about one quarter of parents/caregivers report such a discussion (24 percent).

Parents/Caregivers and Children Affect Each Others' Sleep About three out of four parents/caregivers say they would change something about their child's sleep if they could. A child's bedtime is a popular choice for change across most age groups, although many parents would like to change their child's bedtime behavior and the time their child wakes up.

Positive parenting practices such as reading improve children's sleep. The poll shows that children who read or are read to as part of their bedtime routine are likely to sleep more and are less likely to watch television, videos or DVDs.

Parents/caregivers average about 6.8 hours of sleep a night, slightly less than the seven hours averaged by all adults according to NSF's 2002 Sleep in America poll. Most parents/caregivers say they get less sleep than they need, with the majority saying they need between eight and nine hours each night. Children's sleep habits have a direct impact on those caring for them. Parents/caregivers whose children get the least amount of sleep are twice as likely to say they sleep less than six hours a night.

About one-half of all parents/caregivers have their sleep disturbed an average of twice a week because their child awakens them during the night. Parents of infants are awakened the most, and lose the most sleep -- they are awakened an average of four nights a week, losing close to an hour of sleep each time -- that's more than 200 hours of lost sleep in their child's first year.

Insomnia is also a problem for parents/caregivers. Nearly three in ten experience insomnia at least a few nights a week; about one-half of these insomnia sufferers say their problem increased after they became a parent/caregiver. (Symptoms of insomnia include trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, waking too early, or being unable to get back to sleep).

What Parents/Caregivers Can Do:

In light of the findings from the 2004 Sleep in America poll, the National Sleep Foundation makes the following recommendations for parents and caregivers:

• Make sufficient sleep a family priority. Understanding the importance of getting enough sleep and how sleep affects the overall health of parents and children is the first step towards making sleep a family priority. Parents/caregivers need to determine the amount of sleep each family member needs and take steps to ensure individual needs are met. Every family member must make a good night's sleep a regular part of his/her daily schedule.
• Embrace good sleep habits. Regular bedtime routines, creating a quiet and comfortable bedroom, and adhering to appropriate bedtime and wake times can lead to better sleep. Keep televisions and computers out of the child's bedroom; caffeine should not be part of a child's diet.
• Learn to recognize sleep problems. The most common sleep problems in children include difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, snoring, stalling and resisting going to bed, having trouble breathing, and loud or heavy breathing while sleeping. These problems can be evident in daytime behavior such as being overtired, sleepy or cranky.
• Talk to your child's doctor about sleep. Parents/caregivers should discuss their child's sleep habits and problems with their child's doctor, as most sleep problems are easily treated. Healthcare professionals must regularly ask about a child's sleep.