Dear Grandparenting: The lack of a good night’s sleep may not be a sexy topic, but it’s clearly taken a toll on my grandson. I’ve taken to calling him zombie boy. Danny looks like the walking dead.

I figured it was because of this darn pandemic since COVID will keep me awake worrying. That isn’t it. Danny sneaks around and turns on a computer or cell phone and doesn’t apologize. He’s convinced he’s great to go on six hours sleep but can’t explain why his grades dropped off in two subjects.

You don’t have to be a detective to figure this one out. My daughter gives Danny a lot of rope because she feels sorry for him being cut off from sports and stuff. I say too bad. Hope you back me up. Dede Thomas, Albion, Michigan

Dear Dede: Back when television threatened to rob children of their sleep — say 1970 BC (before computers) — households turned off the boob tube at a certain hour, killed the lights and went to bed. Period.

But thanks to the Internet, it’s child’s play to carry on into the wee hours with a cell phone or computer, caught up in social media or gaming, unbeknownst to family.

Feeling indestructible as they do, grandchildren can come to regard sleep as something optional, something for old people. Scientific evidence paints a different picture. Grandchildren need more sleep according to the National Sleep Council, which recommends 10 to 11 hours nightly for kids aged five to 12, and nine or so hours for adolescents.

Don’t minimize sleep issues. Sleep deprivation, say experts in the field, is “the equivalent of three strikes against learning.” Shortages can cause irritability and increased stress, moodiness, attention issues and low motivation, and increase the risk of developing serious health problems. A good night’s sleep shapes up as a non-negotiable issue.

Grand remark of the week

Nancy Devins from Lima, Ohio wanted to know how things went when daughter Leah returned from dinner at grandmother Devins’ apartment.

Leah recounted the menu in detail and enjoyed her grandmother’s stories about growing up on a farm in Canada.

“Does Granny still say a prayer before lunch?” asked Nancy.

Leah looked confused. “She doesn’t have to,” she said. “Grandma is such a good cook.”