We have a fantastic blog and infographic this month kindly written for us by Dr Nikola Djordjevic at Disturb Me Not! It does provide an eye opening read, presented in a very easy way so, if you have a moment, do open it and take a look!
A good night’s sleep is something all human beings need, but when it comes to kids, it’s crucial for their health and wellbeing. According to studies, regular quality sleep can help improve their behavior, attention, memory, and learning, as well as their general mental and physical health. On the other hand, sleep deprivation, even if it’s just for a couple of nights, can lead to depression, obesity, and high blood pressure.
The Health Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep
First things first, sleep promotes growth in children. It also protects kids from vascular damage and it positively affects their weight. Children with quality sleep are healthier and rarely suffer from obesity.
Another thing that sleep is excellent at is killing germs. During sleep, both children and adults produce cytokines, which the body uses to fight diseases, infections, and stress.
Sleep is amazing when it comes to increasing children’s attention span in turn reducing the risk of hyperactivity and impulsivity problems by the age of six. It also helps them with learning.
And last but not least, a good night’s sleep can reduce the risk of injury. When they are not well-rested, children are clumsier and more impulsive and that leads to more accidents.
How Many Hours Should Children Sleep?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the amount of sleep depends on your child’s age. They recommend infants under 1 year to sleep between 12 and 16 hours a day. Children from 1 to 2 years old are recommended to sleep 11 to 14 hours, children from 3 to 5 – 10 to 13 hours and for children from 6 to 12 years old, it’s best to sleep 9 to 12 hours. For teenagers (13-18), it is recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day.
How to Deal With Sleep Problems
It’s not always easy to put your young ones in bed. Same as with some adults, children can have difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep. There are several things you need to take into consideration to help your kids have quality sleep. The most important thing is the bedtime routine! It would be ideal if your children go to bed and wake up at the same time every single day, even if it’s not a school night.
Another thing that might be of great help is to limit the use of electronics at least an hour before bed. You can use this time to bond with your kids by spending time together without any screens or reading books to them.
It’s essential that you find a bedtime ritual that’s relaxing for your child. You can try listening to soothing music, taking a warm bath or even giving them a relaxing massage.
Conclusion
It’s crucial to teach your children about the importance of sleep. This will not only affect the quality of their life as children, but as adults in the future as well. Sleep is the most important thing for our survival, especially in a world that keeps on getting more and more stressful and it has become one of the most important tools we can learn as kids. If you’d like to find out even more about sleep, check out the infographic below.
