Parents, Let Your Children Sleep

Why Kids Are Tired

In a 2014 nation-wide poll by the National Sleep Foundation, American parents estimated that:

• 6- to 10-year-olds get 8.9 hours of sleep per night
• 11- to 12-year-olds get 8.2 hours of sleep per night
• 13- to 14-year-olds get 7.7 hours of sleep per night
• 15- to 17-year-olds get 7.1 hours of sleep per night

This is far less than what the National Sleep Foundation experts and many physicians recommend. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, sleep needs by age are as follows:

What Parents Can Do

Why do so many educated parents unknowingly deprive their children of something so basic and crucial to good development? Here are five main reasons, and suggestions for solutions from Dr. Sinha:

Overscheduling

Many parents fill a child’s days with multiple activities and academic enrichment programs in an effort to boost brain power. “If this leads to consistently later bedtimes, this effort is backfiring,” Dr. Sinha says. “No class or activity can come close to the brain-enhancing effects of sufficient sleep. Sleep actually lets your child absorb and retain more information thanks to improved attention in the classroom.” To help, organize your child’s schedule in a way that ensures a regular bedtime.

Family Pressure

Often children are kept up to greet a parent arriving home late from work. “I completely understand a parent’s desire to see their child after a long, hard workday. But if this happens often, you may be sacrificing your child’s physical, emotional and intellectual development,” Dr. Sinha says.

Social Pressure

Occasional late-night social events may not be disruptive. However, if your child is being kept up beyond a normal bedtime every weekend, this can be a problem. “Significant bedtime deviations disrupt your child’s sleep rhythm, causing effects similar to jet lag,” Dr. Sinha says. “A common pattern is a late Friday and/or Saturday bedtime followed by an earlier Sunday school night bedtime.” Instead, he advises keeping bedtimes as consistent as you can through weekends, holidays and summer vacations.

Overstimulation

Many kids are hyperactive before bedtime. Often this is due to excessive stimulation from evening screen time, social activities or sugar, Dr. Sinha explains. “You need to let your child wind down so he or she can fall asleep more easily,” he says. “Initiate a calm routine like a warm bath or shower followed by some reading time. Turn off all screens at least one hour before bedtime. And don’t feed your child sugary snacks before bed.”

Cultural Patterns

It’s not uncommon for young Indian or Asian children to go to bed late. In fact, an international study presented at the SLEEP 2008 conference found that children from India and other Asian countries had significantly later bedtimes and shorter total sleep times than children from other countries. Dr. Sinha was not surprised by this finding as he is himself South Asian and notices this pattern frequently in the clinic and out in the community. However, if a cultural norm is harming a child’s wellbeing, parents should change that norm, Dr. Sinha believes. “If you come from a culture that accepts late, irregular bedtimes, break out of the norm,” he says. “Prioritize your child’s sleep.”

The good news is that children are resilient and problems related to sleep deprivation, such as behavior issues, improve significantly once children have a consistent bedtime that gives them adequate sleep.

Tailor Sleep Recommendations for Your Child

Sleep guidelines from the CDC and other national sleep medicine groups are a great place to start, but keep in mind that how much sleep your child needs can be variable. A sick child, for example, will need more sleep. Likewise, kids may need some extra sleep during rapid growth.

Discuss your child’s sleep needs with your pediatrician and watch for signs of being sleep deprived, including hyperactivity, behavior problems and moodiness.

“Sleep confers tremendous benefits on our minds and bodies,” Dr. Sinha says. “Make it a priority not just for your kids, but for the entire family.”