The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on children, with many staying up later at night, eating more unhealthy treats and spending more time on screens, new research from Safefood has found.

According to the findings, since the beginning of the pandemic, 43% of children are now going to bed later, while 44% are getting up later each morning.

As a result of these changes to sleep routines, 49% of children are now eating more unhealthy snacks and treats, 54% are less active, while 67% are engaging in more screen time.

All of these can lead to childhood obesity, Safefood warned.

As part of the START campaign, it has teamed up with the HSE and Healthy Ireland to encourage parents to get bedtime back on track in preparation for the return to school in the coming weeks.

START is an ongoing public health campaign, which aims to help families tackle overweight and obesity. Following an extensive period of time at home as a result of COVID-19, the campaign is now focusing on getting a healthier routine back into daily life.

The research by Safefood revealed that 60% of parents are concerned about getting their child back into a routine for school and many are struggling with some of their children's habits during the pandemic, such as increased screen time and the consumption of unhealthy foods.

According to Safefood, sleep is the cornerstone to health and wellbeing and its impact on maintaining a healthy lifestyle should not be underestimated.

Poor sleep routines are associated with sedentary behaviour and research has shown that a lack of sleep is linked with increased overweight and obesity, particularly in younger people.

As well as being linked with sedentary behaviour, not getting enough quality sleep is thought to increase appetite, as well as the desire for unhealthy foods.

"Sleep influences appetite hormones and being up for longer means there are more opportunities to eat, which can impact on weight. Many parents have told us that they have found sleep, snacking, managing treat foods and other healthy behaviours difficult over recent months. A good sleep routine is the key to unlocking these challenges," commented Dr Marian O'Reilly, chief specialist in nutrition at Safefood.

According to Dr Colman Noctor, a child and adolescent psychotherapist, a fundamental role of childhood is "building regulation in all aspects of life, with sleep being the corner stone of this regulation process".

"The key to this is regularity and consistency, with consistent sleep patterns assisting your child to regulate all other aspects of their lives including appetite, energy, emotions and physical activity," he explained.

He said that sleep should be viewed as a "recharging process". If a child does not get enough sleep, "there will be negative knock-on effects across all other aspects of the child's life".

"Sleep also has a significant impact on cognitive function, so concentration, memory and focus are also compromised with insufficient sleep," Dr Noctor added.

While getting back into a regular bedtime routine is something many parents face at this time of the year, the COVID-19 pandemic has made this even more difficult.

"With COVID-19, we have all faced huge extra challenges this year. We would encourage parents to know the power of a good sleep routine, and how it can improve their child's health and wellbeing. We know it's not easy to tackle and will take time and effort to get it right. We have really good advice and support available at www.makeastart.ie," explained Sarah O'Brien, the national lead for the HSE's Healthy Eating and Active Living Programme.

To help get bedtime back on track, Dr Colman Noctor suggests the following tips to parents:

-Consistent bedtimes should be at the heart of the routine as these provide regularity and predictability that over time will help a child to self-regulate

-Reduce screen time and sugary foods and drinks in the hours leading up to bedtime.

-Encourage physical activity and the consumption of fruit and vegetables during the day

-Encourage relaxation skills and wind-down activities

-Value sleep time within the family culture.

More information in available at www.makeastart.ie.