Schoolchildren grapple with sleep- related problems: Medical specialist

By Poojathmi Rivithma 

Colombo, March 27 ( Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka is grappling with an increase over sleep- related problems, raising concerns as 63% of schoolchildren are not getting enough sleep, Consultant Community Physician Dr. Chiranthika Vithanage said.

She told a news conference at the Health Promotion Breau that sleep is important for health, and 8.2 % of schoolchildren aged 16 - 17 have a sleep duration of 4 hours or less.

She stated that students have reported serious motor veical injuries or being hit by a motor vehical ,with 6.6% females and 16.4% of males experiencing this during the past 12 months.

"In violence and unintentional injuries 23.8% faced physical attacks, 6.1% experinced sexual harassment, 10.1% experineced dating violence, 6.9% experinced cyber sexual harrsaments and 34.5% involved in physical fights," she said.

The figures highligted that a significant number of schoolchildren have experineced violence and unintentional injuries, with 47.9% reporting harms caused by teachers.

Vithanage pointed out that 6.1% students were forced to enagage in sexual activities, with a higher percentage reported among males over the past 12 months.