Many children as young as three are sleep deprived because they've spent too much time on smart devices such as phones and tablets.
Up to 17 per cent of children aged three and younger own their own smart device, News Corp reports, and many are falling asleep at pre-school and their child-care centres.
A child health poll by Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital revealed children spend an average of 32 hours a week or four and a half hours a day on these devices, with 43 per cent doing so at bedtime.
A paediatric doctor at Sydney's Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Chris Seton, says the number of very young children with sleep issues was increasing.
