
Feature/General
Better Z's Make for Healthier, Happier Children
By Elizabeth Edmonds, Ph.D.
August/September 2003
Perhaps one of the most neglected
areas of our lives is sleep. Most of us are so busy between family
and work that we have trained
ourselves to forego one of the most essential needs of our body.
Over time, this deprivation accumulates and cannot be restored
by sleeping in late one Saturday morning. Sleep deprivation can
have devastating effects on the body and the brain. A recent study
demonstrated that driving a car while sleep deprived can be just
as harmful as driving while intoxicated. Parents of young children
may suffer from sleep deprivation for a number of years, especially
if both parents are working full-time jobs. This can lead to a
lower tolerance for stress, irritability, compromised brain functions
(e.g., slow reaction time, reduced attention, reduced short-term
memory, word retrieval problems, etc.), marital discord, and health
problems.
As we forge ahead in our fast-paced lives, we are sometimes guilty
of passing on these bad sleep habits to our children. We may allow
them to stay up late for a multitude of reasons: participating
in a sport; spending quality family time; finishing homework; we
are too tired to enforce bedtime rules; they will not go to bed
until we go to bed; etc. Whatever the reason, as with adults, children
lose a lot more than sleep when they do not go to bed on time.
An overtired child will naturally create more stimulating brain
chemicals as a way to fight off the fatigue. This is why a child
can seem “hyperactive” late in the day or past his
or her bedtime.
One of the most important questions I ask parents during the
initial interview in my office revolves around bedtime. What time
does
your child go to bed? What time does s/he have to get up? Does
your child have a hard time waking up in the morning? Does your
child take a nap? Where does your child sleep? How does your
child get him or herself to sleep? Is your child’s bedtime
different on the weekends and during the summer? Answers to these
questions
can help determine the presence of sleep deprivation as opposed
to numerous other diagnoses that might follow the child for the
rest of his/her life.
Sleep deprivation during rapid brain development may lead to permanent
neurological changes. Infants, toddlers and preschoolers who miss
out on sleep can be aggressive, hyperactive, distractable, and
can appear delayed. Marc Weisbluth, M.D., a pediatrician who has
developed a step-by-step program to help parents teach their children
healthy sleep habits, is of the opinion that many sleep behaviors
are learned. We must become good observers of our children so that
we can establish their sleep schedules around their normal drowsy
times. We must create a quiet and soothing atmosphere to promote
sleep. We must teach them self-soothing techniques that they can
use throughout their lifetime. Many times parents tell me that
they allow their children to fall asleep while watching a video
or television. This technique arouses the brain rather than calming
it down and prevents the child from learning self-soothing methods.
Consistent sleep schedules are also paramount when raising children.
Children who achieve the necessary amount of sleep are healthier,
learn new material faster, are more adaptable to change, and are
in a happier mood than children who are deprived of sleep. According
to Weisbluth, older children who miss out on sleep over time will
complain of stomachaches and headaches. These are the same complaints
made by shift workers with unusual sleep schedules. Thus, we as
parents cannot push sleep to the back burner when it is socially
inconvenient or to satisfy our need to spend more time with our
kids.
Sleep Chart |
Child' s Age |
Hours Sleep* |
Child's Age |
Hours Sleep * |
1 week |
16.5 |
7 years |
10.5 |
1 month |
15.5 |
8 years |
10.25 |
3 months |
15 |
9 years |
10 |
6 months |
14.25 |
10 years |
9.75 |
9 months |
14 |
11 years |
9.5 |
12 months |
13.75 |
12 years |
9.25 |
18 months |
13.5 |
13 years |
9.25 |
2 years |
13 |
14 years |
9 |
3 years |
12 |
15 years |
8.75 |
4 years |
11.5 |
16 years |
8.5 |
5 years |
11 |
17 years |
8.25 |
6 years |
10.75 |
18 years |
8.25 |
* Total hours of sleep including a nap |
If your child does not seem to get the prescribed amount of sleep
based on this chart, I suggest that parents work toward bringing
their kids in line by using 15 minute increments over time. For
example, if your four-year-old son is only getting 10 hours of
sleep you should get him to bed 15 minutes earlier than normal
for three nights in a row. The next three nights should be 30 minutes
earlier than normal and so on until he reaches the total hours
of sleep necessary for healthy development. Remember if your four-year-old
son takes a two-hour nap every day then he only needs to sleep
9.5 hours or more at night. If your child sleeps more than the
total hours reported by Ferber, than you may have a gifted child
on your hands. Studies in this country and Japan have revealed
just that; very bright children sleep for longer periods of time.
Finally I tell parents that when a child is well-rested
they look forward to their nap time and bed time. Overtired children
fight
sleep and when we give in to the fight and allow them to establish
their own bedtime we are creating future learning and attention
problems and are teaching them poor sleep habits. I highly recommend
Marc Weisbluth’s book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.
Elizabeth Edmonds is a child
psychologist practicing in Athens
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