Is a lack of sleep damaging your child?
Sleep Medicine Consultant Dr. Mark Levi shares simple strategies to help get your kids into a good bedtime routine.
Continuing research over the past ten years shows that in the western world we are getting less and less sleep.
While this may generally be OK for adults, it is disastrous for growing children. A lack of sleep negatively impacts on their development, in particular, their ability to learn as well as they could.
Inadequate sleep and the resulting physical tiredness can also lead to behavioural problems. Some researchers even attribute ADHD to insufficient sleep.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine provides some helpful guidelines as to how much sleep children ideally need.
- 0-5 year olds need 10 to 16 hours
- 6-12 year olds need 9 to 12 hours
- 13-18 year olds need 8 to 10 hours
If you want your kids to get the best out of their schooling, it’s important to focus on helping them get a better quality and quantity of sleep.
Getting your kids to bed at the same time every night, getting them into a pre-bedtime routine that is relaxing, then going to bed in an ideal environment – one that is soothing and conducive to sleep – is of prime importance.
The biggest war parents’ fight today is against the blue light producing, melatonin-inhibiting screens to which many children are exposed to.
For more information on screen time and your children see the Department of Health Guidelines.
Catch up on the full episode of The House of Wellness TV show to see more expert health advice from Zoe, Ed, and the team.
