Sleep and Your Child
A good night's sleep is as important
to your child as a hearty breakfast. Without enough shut-eye, children are more likely
to
struggle with their school studies, do poorly on the playing field, and suffer
depression.
According to the National Sleep
Foundation, children are getting less than the advised amount of sleep over a 24-hour
period.
This can make it tough for your child to solve problems and memorize lessons, which
can lower grades and self-esteem. Sleep-starved kids are also more easily frustrated
and fidgety. A child's sleep trouble affects the whole family. Parents who are up
coaxing a child to bed are robbed of their own valuable sleep.
The best cure is a consistent bedtime schedule. Stick to a bedtime that permits this
amount of nightly sleep:
-
From 10
to 13 hours for a 3- to 5-year-old child.
Preschoolers often have difficulty
falling asleep and staying asleep. Children this age also are more likely to have
nightmares and sleep terrors, and to sleepwalk.
-
From 9 to
12 hours for a school-aged child.
Schoolchildren spend time with TV,
computers, and the Internet, all of which can erode time for sleep. This age group
also may be drinking caffeinated beverages that can affect the ease of falling asleep
at night. Watching TV just before bedtime may make it more difficult to fall asleep
and may create resistance or anxiety about bedtime. Too little sleep can lead to mood
swings, and behavioral and cognitive problems.
If the current bedtime for your child is too late, move it 15 minutes earlier each
night, until you reach the desired bedtime. Tuck resisters back into their own beds,
promptly and repeatedly, until they get the message that you expect them to get to
sleep on their own.
More sound sleeping advice
-
Unplug
the bedroom.
Turn off TVs, computers, and cell phones. Better yet, keep
such things out of the bedroom, which should be a stimulation-free zone.
-
Set a
wind-down routine.
Start the transition to sleep with dimmed lights and a
warm bath, and end with reading a book. Don't watch TV just before bedtime.
-
Go
decaf.
Drinking any caffeine during the day can affect sound sleep.
Caffeine is found not just in coffee and cola, but also in tea and chocolate.
-
Reduce
daytime stimulation.
Overbooked kids who rush from band practice to dance
class to dinner to homework may be too keyed up at bedtime to unwind. Experts
advise one activity per season.
-
Get
help.
If, despite these measures, your child still resists bedtime, has
nighttime awakenings, or snores, talk with your healthcare provider.