More than a million sleeping pill prescriptions a year are being dished out to children, as record numbers struggle to get through the night without chemical help.
Latest NHS figures show 1,060,009 prescriptions for the drugs were issued to under-18s in England in 2024, with the number of individuals receiving the medication soaring above 250,000 for the first time.
According to NHS data, 12-year-olds are most commonly given sleeping pills, while 119,000 prescriptions were issued to children still at primary school.
The number of children given the drugs has soared by more than 100,000 since 2020, while prescriptions rose by 400,000.
It means that NHS doctors are issuing 20,000 prescriptions to children every week.
Medical guidance says drugs to tackle sleeping problems – which are known as hypnotics and include sedating antihistamines and melatonin treatments – should be given to under-18s only for the short-term relief of conditions such as night terrors or sleepwalking.
Separate data has shown growing numbers of young people reporting such problems, with experts linking it to anxiety, mental health pressures and increased screen use.
Dr Susie Davies, GP and founder of PAPAYA (Parents Against Phone Addiction in Young Adolescents), said the latest figures ‘reflect an alarming rise’ in insomnia among children, adding: ‘We must examine the potential drivers and strongly consider the likely role that screen use is playing in disrupting young people’s sleep. It is increasingly difficult to ignore the contribution of night-time screen use to the growing prevalence of sleep disorders among young people.’
The number of children given sleeping pills has soared by more than 100,000 since 2020, while prescriptions rose by 400,000 (stock photo)
Latest NHS figures show 1,060,009 prescriptions for the drugs were issued to under-18s in England in 2024, with the number of individuals receiving the medication rising above 250,000 for the first time
Vicki Beevers, chief executive of The Sleep Charity, described the data as ‘deeply concerning’.
She said: ‘Medication can have a place in very specific circumstances and under specialist guidance. However, clinical guidance is clear that hypnotics should not routinely be used for children.
‘Sleep is a behavioural and biological process, and in many cases children benefit most from consistent routines, supportive bedtime strategies, managing light and screen exposure and addressing underlying emotional wellbeing.’
She added: ‘The rise in prescriptions suggests we need greater investment in early intervention, parent education and accessible behavioural sleep support, so families can get help before difficulties escalate to the point where medication feels like the only option.’
