Parents are being urged to keep televisions and phones out of children's bedrooms, as these may be impacting on the amount of sleep young people are getting.

The call comes from Safefood, which has just launched the latest phase of its ongoing campaign to reduce childhood obesity. An increasing amount of research points to a link between inadequate sleep and an increased risk of weight problems in young people.

An analysis of 11 international studies revealed that children who sleep for less than 11 hours each night have an almost 60% increased risk of being overweight or obese, compared to children who get more sleep.

According to Dr Fiona Healy, a consultant general and respiratory paediatrician at Temple Street Children's Hospital, a lack of adequate sleep can have a major impact on children.

"Unfortunately, I'm seeing more children with weight issues where a lack of sleep or not enough quality sleep are significant factors. From a physical point of view, sleep helps children's bodies to grow and develop, while for brain and emotional growth, sleep also gives them time to make sense of their day," she noted.

She pointed out that while some parents may think their children are getting enough sleep, ‘the reality is they're probably not'.

"What also doesn't help is that children's sleep is increasingly delayed or interrupted by the number of multiple screens in the home - whether that's a smartphone, laptop, tablet or television. This screen time is having a negative effect on children's sleep and as a consequence, their health and weight," she emphasised.

Commenting on the latest phase of this campaign, Safefood's Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan noted that while many parents are aware of the health risks associated with certain lifestyle habits, such as too many ‘treat' foods or not enough exercise, ‘they are unaware of how important quality sleep is for children's health'.

"Children need to have wind-down time before bedtime, just as we adults do, and we need to make children's bedrooms screen-free zones, and that includes charging all phones, tablets etc... elsewhere at night," she said.

A recent online survey by Safefood of almost 1,700 parents in Ireland found that almost two in three believed their children were not getting enough sleep, while almost eight in 10 said that they have tried to reduce the amount of time their children spend looking at various screens.

Research has shown that currently, around two-thirds of nine-year-olds in Ireland watch between one and three hours of television per day, while one in 10 watch more than three hours per day. This is on top of time potentially spent on other screens such as smartphones, computers and games consoles.

Furthermore, almost half of nine-year-olds already have a television in their bedroom, while one in three have a television and a DVD player.

The Safefood campaign will feature on television, radio, social media and digital advertising. For more information on how to set a better bedtime routine for children, click here