What children’s lack of sleep and exercise is doing to them

Sister duo Chloe X Halle sings this: “Everything is new ‘cause we about that innovation/Call it how we see it, we a genius generation/We all, we all, we all right/ The kids are all right!” Really? Those singing that anthem for the digital age might want to consider the findings of a new study: It seems the digital obsession that’s overtaken their up-and-coming fan base is dumbing those kids down. The kids are not all right.

An observational study of 4,500 American children, ages 8-11, published in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health found that only 5 percent of kids meet recommendations to ensure good cognitive development: less than two hours of recreational screen time and at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, plus 9-11 hours of sleep nightly.

Sixty percent of kids those ages spend too much time on screens. The average was 3.6 hours a day. So it’s no surprise that just 51 percent of them get enough sleep (they’re online in bed) and only 18 percent meet the guideline for physical activity (again, staring at a screen). That, say the researchers, reduces cognitive development, academic performance, reaction time, attention and memory.

Here are a couple of ways to help your kids to be all right:

■ Plan daily family walks and outings; get them participating in organized sports.

■ Take digital devices (including computers) out of the bedroom at bedtime. That’ll help ensure 9-11 hours of sleep so they’ll get up fresh for school.

Then the kids will be all right—and bright!

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit sharecare.com.