Is Your Child Getting Enough Sleep?
School-age children have a lot of things that compete for their attention and cause them to fight to go to bed and interfere with their getting enough sleep. At the same time, it becomes more important than ever that they get enough rest. Poor sleep can lead to attention and behavioral problems, not doing well in school, increased risk for weight gain, and even reduced immune system health. Here are the top most common reasons why your child may not be getting a good night’s sleep. Not only are these attention vampires addictive and increase the odds that people will ignore each other to stare at their screens (a phenomenon called “phubbing”), but studies have shown that they can interfere with falling asleep and staying asleep. This can be particularly problematic for kids since they need to get enough sleep to be alert and focused in school. Don’t let kids watch TV or play video games at least an hour before bedtime, and do something quiet and soothing instead, like taking a bath or reading a book with you. And keep TVs, computers, and other screens out of your child’s bedroom. Even small screens, such as smartphones, have been shown to cause sleep problems for kids when they’re allowed in kids’ bedrooms. A January 2015 study of more than 2,000 kids in 4th to 7th grade published in Pediatrics found that children who sleep near a smartphone or another small-screen device get less sleep than kids who are not allowed to have these types of devices in their bedrooms. If you don’t allow your child to have some time to wind down before they head to bed, chances are they won’t be able to fall asleep right away. Give your child some time to go from being awake to being asleep by making sure there’s quiet and peace at bath time, during teeth brushing, and while reading a book. Have your child put away their toys and books and try some stretching or a few yoga poses. Play some quiet music and dim the lights to get your child into the mindset of rest and bedtime. Unfortunately, inconsistent bedtime will only lead to kids being more tired the next day and not being able to fall asleep at their regular bedtime. Letting kids catch up on sleep on weekends doesn’t work because some kids wake up early anyway, or they sleep in really late and they are even less likely to be sleepy at an early bedtime during the school week. In short, having late nights doesn’t really make up for the sleep debt that builds up over time. Your child may protest that it’s not fair because her friends get to stay up, but be firm. Don’t stray too far from regular bedtime and ensure that your child routinely gets anywhere from 9 to 12 hours of sleep. This is an important way to avoid kids’ sleep problems and make sure your child gets the rest she needs. And the more you do it, the more your child is likely to get used to the routine and fall asleep more easily. Bonus: Lots of great bedtime routines, like reading a book or doing some relaxing stretches together, are wonderful opportunities to communicate with kids and strengthen your relationship. Other hidden sources of caffeine include bottled fruity teas (they are still teas, and have caffeine, not to mention huge amounts of sugar), energy drinks, sports drinks, energy bars, and even some non-cola sodas. But just because your school-age kid is not napping during the day anymore, it doesn’t mean that they are always able to regulate themselves and say, “Gee, I’m tired; I really need to go to bed now.” If you see your child behaving in an uncharacteristic way, running around, and acting more hyper and energized than usual, break out those good bedtime routines and get them ready for bed.
