Did you know that half of all American children do not get enough sleep? This means that 50% of children in the United States are at risk of long-term health effects, emotional and mental problems, and issues at school.
Are you concerned that your child may be in the 50% that isn’t getting enough sleep? Understanding the health facts surrounding the importance of sleep for children will help you protect your children from the consequences of sleep deprivation.
Keep reading for a complete guide on how important sleep is for children and how to improve sleep routines.
Why They Need Sleep for Physical Development
When it comes to physical development, sleep is as crucial as eating healthy and getting exercise.
While children sleep their growth hormone is produced. This hormone is produced at other times throughout the day, but primarily during sleep. This means that children who don’t get enough sleep risk having a growth hormone deficiency.
Another consequence of insufficient sleep in children is weight gain and obesity. Sleep deprivation can have a dire effect on the leptin hormone. Leptin is responsible for letting your brain know that you have enough stored energy to survive and thrive. Essentially, it tells the brain that you’ve had enough to eat.
So, if the leptin hormone is affected by a lack of sleep, children may overeat as their brains aren’t getting the message that they’ve had enough.
Sleep is especially important for the physical development of infants and young children. It’s necessary for growth and muscle repair and sleep deprivation may lead to high blood pressure and diabetes.
Important Sleep is for Children Mental Health
There’s no doubt that the importance of children’s sleep for physical development is paramount. However, the biggest concern when children don’t get enough sleep is their mental development and the state of their mental health.
Our brains do important work while we’re sleeping. When you sleep, your brain consolidates memories and solves problems. When babies are sleeping, their bodies learn the connection between the brain and the muscles.
Sleep deprivation severely affects cognitive performance, learning and memory, motor skills development, and vocabulary acquisition.
When a child doesn’t get enough sleep they are unable to concentrate properly and may even exhibit symptoms similar to ADHD — swinging between hyper activeness and grumpiness.
Lastly, sleep affects children’s moods and mental health. In fact, the length and quality of sleep have a direct effect on happiness. A lack of sleep causes grumpiness and may lead to anxiety and depression, too.
Signs of a Lack of Sleep
Are you concerned that your child is not getting enough sleep? Perhaps you’ve started to notice some signs that indicate sleep deprivation but you’re not entirely sure what to look out for. It’s important to notice continuing symptoms of a lack of sleep as it may indicate a sleep disorder.
Physical Symptoms
Is your child struggling to wake up in the morning, only rising after being woken many times? Look out for regular yawning, feeling sleepy, and needing to lie down in the middle of the day or falling asleep during school.
Your child may complain of feeling tired and display cravings for stimulants such as caffeine or sugar. Try to avoid satiating their cravings for these stimulants as it will only inhibit sleep further.
Mental Symptoms
When children experience a bad sleep cycle and routine, they may show a lack of interest and motivation. Look out for signs of forgetfulness and a struggle to keep focused or concentrate.
When your child doesn’t sleep properly for many nights in a row it will leave them feeling mentally exhausted. This will make it difficult for them to process or learn new information and will affect their academic performance.
Emotional Symptoms
Sleep deprivation will cause noticeably emotional symptoms that alter the mood of your child. You’ll recognize increased moodiness and irritability as well as a rise in stress behavior. You may also recognize increased impulsivity.
If left unchecked, this can degrade into anxiety and depression. Additionally, a lack of sleep heightens the symptoms of mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and depression.
Tips for Getting Enough Sleep
There are times when a disruption in a child’s usual sleep cycle is nothing to worry about. Perhaps you’re on holiday and your children are going to bed later than usual. Or there may be some disruption to routine because of something such as moving house.
However, if a lack of sleep becomes a constant concern, it may be time to respond to your child’s sleep routine in order to help them get enough sleep.
If your child is experiencing nightmares or bedwetting that keeps them up at night, you need to address the core issue first.
Here are some tips for helping children improve their sleep hygiene and natural baby sleep solutions:
- Set a regular bedtime and wake up time and help them stick to it
- Limit food and drinks with caffeine
- Remove TVs from the bedroom
- Use dark curtains to block out lights
- Dim lights or use a night light if they’re scared of the dark
- Ensure the bedroom is quiet
- Provide a healthy diet
- Introduce calming exercises such as reading before bed
- Limit screen time before bed
You’ll have to experiment with a few different changes and find what works for your child. Be patient as it may take some time to get their sleep routine back on track.
Health Facts for Healthy Children
As a parent, you want to ensure that your child is at their peak mental and physical health. Sleep deprivation puts that at risk, so understanding the health facts about the importance of sleep is crucial. Look out for signs of sleep deprivation so you can introduce helpful sleep hygiene tips.
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