Parents should know that more than 25 percent of all children experience some type of sleep problem during their childhood.The most common being that, when at bedtime kids could not right away be lulled to sleep and another is when they are awakened at night and they experience difficulty falling right back to sleep.
If untreated, these can lead to mood disturbances, impaired attention, and poor impulse control. In fact, children with irregular sleep/wake schedules demonstrated long-term deficits in math and language skills.
Sleep is essential for a person’s health and well being, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Yet millions of people do not get enough sleep and many suffer from lack of sleep.
Most people with these problems go undiagnosed and untreated. In addition, most adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities.
According to Huffpost Healthy Living, here are some things that parents should know about sleep:
1. Sleep Is Incredibly Important for Kids. Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function, this includes cognition, concentration, productivity and performance. Good slee on the other hand, or getting enough sleep has shown improvement in problem solving skills and build up memory performance for both children and adults.
2. Consistency is Important. Each parent are advised to put their children to bed, it is proven to be very effective. The intent is to make bedtime a positive, enjoyable time for the child. Such things as taking a bath, brushing teeth, and putting on pajamas, followed by a bedtime story can work wonders.
Children and adolescents should have a consistent schedule. Parents must learn how many hours of sleep the child needs at that age and work backwards from wake time.
Televisions and video games should be eliminated. Most studies show increased sleep problems and lighter sleep in children with televisions in the bedroom.
Avoid bedtime snacks, especially those high in sugar. These snacks can cause a sudden burst in energy, resulting in the child to stay awake longer.
