Sleep….

It is interesting that many times a week, parents ask me about this in the clinic.

Parents would want to know when a child needs to go to bed at night, how many hours of sleep a day is sufficient, and what to do when children have trouble sleeping. I will answer some of these questions in a series of blogs.

Sleep is a crucial topic in this current activity-filled and noisy world that seems, at times, opposed to rest, silence, and calm.

INTRODUCTION

Sleep is critical to the well-being of any human being, especially growing children. 

Children need to learn good sleep hygiene habits, and parents and caregivers need to teach this actively. These habits carry on into adulthood and help prevent problems arising from poor sleep habits.

WHAT IS HEALTHY SLEEP?

Sleep is considered healthy in children when they sleep for the recommended number of hours a day, i.e., QUANTITY of sleep, and also have good QUALITY of sleep. 

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (https://sleepisgoodmedicine.com/get-healthy-sleep/), good quality sleep entails:

• Waking up refreshed daily.
• Not waking up frequently at night.
• Having bedtime and wake-up time at about the same time every day.

HOW LONG DOES A CHILD NEED TO SLEEP?

The question,’ How long does a child need to sleep?’ addresses the first part of the definition of sleep, which recommends a good number of hours of sleep per day. Unlike in adults, for children, the hours vary based on age.

• BABIES less than 4 months of age – sleep cycles are not regular till about 6 months of age.
• INFANTS 4 months – 12 months – need 12 – 16 hrs of sleep per 24 hrs (including naps).
• CHILDREN 1 – 2 years of age – need 11 – 14 hrs per 24 hrs (including naps).
• CHILDREN 3 – 5 years of age – need 10 – 13 hrs per 24 hrs (including naps).
• CHILDREN 6 -12 years of age – need 9 – 12 hrs per 24 hrs.
• TEENS 13 – 18 years – need 8 -10 hrs per 24 hrs. *

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HEALTHY SLEEP?

Children sleeping at the recommended hours per 24 hours has multiple benefits. Some of these benefits include:

• Improvement in overall health of children and adults.
• Improved attention and decreased hyperactivity. Some children diagnosed with ADHD may have a sleep disorder as the primary diagnosis. Always discuss with your Pediatrician if your child has sleep problems.
• Improved learning and memory and doing well at school. 
• Better emotional regulation.
• Improved mental health. Several studies have linked poor sleep and depression, suicidal ideation, and increased risk of self-harm. 
• Helps the child stay at a healthy weight.
• Reduces stress.
• Improves decision-making.

There are still more questions on sleep in children, like what are the tips for good sleep hygiene? What can you do when your child will not sleep? Are there daily habits children have that make good sleep harder?

I will address these in the next blog…

Meanwhile, always prioritize sleep in your family for adults and children!

*Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, Hall WA, Kotagal S, Lloyd RM, Malow BA, Maski K, Nichols C, Quan SF, Rosen CL, Troester MM, Wise MS. Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(6):785–786.

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