RECORD numbers of sleeping pills are being doled out to children as they struggle with the impact of Covid.
Doctors issued 570,000 prescriptions to under-16s in England last year.
It is an increase of 17 per cent on the previous 12 months and a massive and worrying jump of 67 per cent in four years.
Experts warn a mix of lockdowns, pandemic anxiety and disrupted schooling has left many kids battling to get to sleep.
Those aged ten were most frequently given the pills, according to official figures, accounting for 63,427 prescriptions — or more than 1,200 a week.
Chris Martin, CEO of The Mix, a charity for young people, said: “The pandemic has turned the lives of under-25s upside down, leaving them feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety.
“The disruption to young people’s education and support networks through months of isolation has led to loneliness and depression, causing considerable mental health challenges.”
NHS Business Services Authority figures show in 2020 medics issued 570,147 prescriptions for hypnotics — sleeping tablets and liquid medicine — to children under 16 in England.
NHS guidelines say doctors should not normally prescribe sleep medication to kids unless it is for a short-term treatment.
