Sleep - It Does a Body Good!

As parents, many of us are all too used to sleep deprivation and we know the physical and psychological effects that it can have on us.  New research is now pointing out that sleep deprivation in children can have much the same effect.  A recent study from Australia tracked over 3,000 kids looking at their health and quality of life between birth and age 7.  Parents completed sleep journals and the authors broke the children up into four groups based on sleep habits (the percentage of children in each group is noted in parentheses):

1.)  Typical sleepers - Slept up to 14 hours as infants, gradually decreasing to 11 hours at age 7 (40%)
2.)  Persistent short sleepers - Similar to typical sleepers but averaged 1 less hour of sleep (11%)
3.)  Initially short sleepers - Started out like the persistent short sleepers, but by age 5 they were more like           typical sleepers (45%)
4.)  Poor sleepers - Slept less than 10 hours in infancy, gradually increasing with time (3%)

So, what does all of this mean?  Well, the researchers found that all but the typical sleepers had lower physical functioning scores on the quality of life scale.  Persistent short sleepers also had lower emotional and social functioning scores.  From there, the researchers dug even a little deeper and looked at obesity risk.  They found that the short sleepers were more than TWICE as likely to be obese than kids who rarely or never had shortened sleep.  The short sleepers also had a higher percentage of abdominal fat, which increases the risk for cardiovascular complications later in life.

I'm sure many of you are asking yourself two things: 1.) how much sleep should my child be getting, and 2.) how do I get them to sleep more?!  Great questions!

Here's a guide from the NIH with recommendations on how much sleep children should be getting at each age:

Now, part two of the question, how do I get them to sleep more?!  Here are some helpful hints:

1.)  Make sleep a priority - It seems these days, we all lead very busy lives.  Weeknights are often loaded with activities ranging from sports to clubs to music lessons and so on.  Try and avoid scheduling activities that will potentially interfere with your child's normal bedtime.

2.)  Exercise (but do it early) - The AHA recommends that all children exercise for 60 minutes a day.  Physical activity, when done regularly, can greatly improve a child's sleep habits.  Just be careful not to exercise too close to bedtime, as it can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

3.)  Turn off electronics - The LED light found in most modern electronics can interfere with the natural release of melatonin from our brain.  This will make it more difficult for your child to fall asleep.  Be sure to have them turn off the electronics at least 1 hour before bedtime.  In addition, violent or fast paced television shows or video games can also make sleep more challenging.  

4.)  Stick to a routine - A consistent bedtime routine will often do wonders for your child.  Try and do the same thing each night, and follow a similar schedule on weekends as well.  Staying up late and sleeping in on weekends are not good for sleep hygiene.  

For more information on healthy sleep, the NIH has published a very useful guide which can be found here.

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