Late programs keeping kids from a decent snooze

REALITY television has Australian children hooked, but their sleep may be suffering for it.

A paediatric sleep expert has warned that even minor interruptions to routines, such as staying up an extra half hour to catch the end of a popular program, can have a dramatic impact on their behaviour.

Junior MasterChef finishes at 8.30pm on Sunday and Monday nights, past many primary school-age children's bedtimes. The Channel Seven talent quest, The X-Factor, doesn't finish until 9pm on Mondays while Ten's Wednesday night duo of Modern Family and Bondi Vet keeps the kids up until 8.30.  More