Tired children 'forced to catch up on sleep at school' A survey of 250 primary school teachers was carried out to tie in with a Sleep Council campaign to promote the importance of a decent night's sleep. In total, some 24 per cent of teachers admitted resorting to "letting children who are very tired sleep in a corner of the classroom." Almost nine-in-10 teachers felt that children were faced by too many distractions in the bedroom, including games machines, TVs and access to the internet, and this was "at the root" of sleep-related problems. Some 82 per cent blamed parents for failing to enforce bedtimes. The comments come amid continuing fears over the link between poor parenting and children's chances of a decent education. A report published last week by the Department for Education found that children brought up by mothers and fathers who use "harsh and inconsistent" discipline are twice as likely to display serious anti-social behaviour at a young age. The report warned that the link "remained true even after a range of socioeconomic factors were taken into account," suggesting that children brought up in middle-class families were just as likely to go off the rails after being subjected to poor parenting. Jessica Alexander, spokeswoman for the Sleep Council, which is funded by bed manufacturers, said: "Lack of sleep would appear to be an issue across all primary school age groups which is a real concern. Our schools project will be looking to raise awareness among schoolchildren themselves but will also involve them monitoring the sleep habits of their parents.