Sleep and Rest
Dr. Lisa Hardy
child psychiatrist and
Castro Valley parent
Children
are very busy people. Their schedules keep them and
their parents on the move. Homework, sports, music
lessons, and other activities take up evenings and
weekends. Unfortunately, with all these activities,
sleep is often the loser.
Yet
children need sleep. Sleep is a critical factor in child
wellness. In fact, it’s just as important as nutrition
and physical activity. A lack of sleep, especially a
chronic lack, can be detrimental to a child’s physical
and emotional health and education.
How
do you know if a child needs sleep?
Surprisingly, children who are not getting enough sleep
may not seem sleepy. But they might show it in other
ways. They may be short-tempered and whiny. At school,
they may have trouble with concentrating and
remembering. They may be irritable, restless, impatient,
or defensive (just like sleep-deprived adults). They may
even show signs similar to those of ADHD (Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), such as inattentiveness
and hyperactivity. Sleep is very important for children
who really do have ADHD. Some researchers believe there
is a link between ADHD and sleep problems.
Overweight children are far more likely to have sleep
problems. Snoring in children often indicates that the
child is having poor quality sleep. In one study,
snoring was helped by an after-school exercise program.
The children’s sleep problems were helped significantly
by the exercise.
Snoring
and poor quality sleep have also been linked to a
condition called sleep apnea which not only affect
children who are overweight but also those with enlarged
tonsils and adenoids (like tonsils but located behind
the nose). As with any concerns or questions about your
child’s health, a visit to the pediatrician and a
thorough physical exam are the best place to start.
So
how much sleep do children need?
Every
child is different, but here are some guidelines from
the Mayo Clinic.
·
Children 1 to 3 years old: 10 to 13 hours
per night plus a nap in the day.
·
Preschoolers: 10 to 12 hours per night.
·
Children 6 to 9: about 10 hours per
night.
·
Preteens and teens: 9 hours
As
always, teenagers are a special challenge. Their bodies
tell them to stay up late and to wake up later in the
morning. Losing sleep adds up over time. Losing an hour
each night means you have lost a whole night by the end
of the week! Sometimes they try to catch up on the
weekends, but it isn’t really the same. They really need
for their schedule to be as regular as it can be.
Setting a bedtime routine is good for everyone.
A good
routine before bedtime will help everyone to get better
sleep. A regular routine is the body’s
way of “shutting down” much the same way a computer
does. Overtime with consistency, your body willbegin to
relax and calm down in preparation for sleep. A
routine is especially helpful for younger children to
get them settled down and to feel safe and secure when
nighttime fears erupt.
Every
family needs its own routine to fit its own situation.
Plan on about 30 minutes for brushing teeth, getting a
drink of water, reading a bedtime story, or talking
about the day. A little trial and error will help you
find your best routine.
The appropriate setting for sleep is also
important. Best sleep can be obtained in a room that is
on the cool side, as dark as is comfortable and quiet.
Additionally, it is helpful not to have strenuous
activities 2-3 hours before sleeping – either physical
or mental (think computer games, and instant messaging),
or a heavy meal. All of these activities force your body
to continue working – either cooling the body down ,
getting blood/oxygen to muscles and the stomach for
digestion or to the brain to keep working.
Improved child wellness
In the
end, everyone will win. Good sleeping habits will help
your child to have more energy, pay better attention at
school, and be better able to deal with the challenges
of growing up. It also provides needed time for
everyone in the family to refuel and start fresh the
next day. As stated before, if your child has any
difficulty sleeping (including persistent nightmares) or
physical discomfort (snoring or restless legs/excess
moving during sleep) the best place to go for
information and assessment is your pediatrician or
family medical doctor.
For
additional information:
The Mayo
Clinic
Sleep
and your child's health: Why bedtime matters
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/child-sleep/CC00020
National
Institutes of Health
Star
Sleeper for Parents
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/starslp/parents/parents.htm
Stanford University:
http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/children.html
American Academy of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry
http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Children's+Sleep+Problems§ion=Facts+for+Families
