The Importance of Sleep, and Why it Goes Beyond Just Being Tired

Written By Dr. Amy Watson

How much sleep do we actually need?

Probably more than you thought, if you looked at the diagram above.

The table below contains a more detailed breakdown of how much sleep children need during a 24-hour period. As you can see, the trend is that as children grow older, they need less overall sleep and less sleep during the day. Teenagers require about the same as adults. A lot of this has to do with crucial brain development that happens during sleep! Most of this happens at a very young age, within the first 2 years of life. Cool, huh?

 We all know sleep is important. But, in my experience it seems like sleep is something that goes by the wayside when we think about what is important in our daily lives. If we are busy and don't have the time to complete tasks for the day, the go-to solution is to stay up way too late and lose a significant amount of sleep in the process. Although many of us do this, there are serious cognitive and behavioral consequences for children who don't get enough sleep or have poor-quality sleep. Some of these consequences are long-term, while others might lead to a couple of rough days as a parent of a fussy, sleep-deprived child.

The following table offers a glimpse into some of the most common impairments that result from poor sleep.

(1) Attention, Vigilance, Reaction Time: This means difficulty during tasks that require speed and accuracy, i.e. driving a car, crossing the street, taking a standardized test. This means more injuries, accidents, and mistakes.

 

(2) Executive Function: Complex brain functions are affected, like classroom performance, problem-solving, and decision-making. There may also be long-term consequences. Studies have shown that school-aged children with sleep issues had evidence of impaired executive function as teenagers. (source: Beebe DW. Cognitive, behavioral, and functional consequences of inadequate sleep in children and adolescents. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2011 Jun;58(3):649-65. Epub 2011 Apr 1.)

 

(3) Memory: Sleep is crucial to memory, specifically reactivating and reorganizing memories. Think of this as categorizing things to make them easier to remember. Without enough sleep, this system doesn't work as intended, and the mind will struggle to retain and access memories. The longer the period of sleep deprivation, the worse this becomes.  

 

(4) Academic Performance: Disrupted sleep is associated with a decline in academic functioning, and the worse the sleep disruption, the worse the academic performance. Teens also become more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors. On the other hand, good sleep quality can make children more motivated and receptive to their teachers. (source: Erath SA et al. Associations between children's intelligence and academic achievement: the role of sleep. J Sleep Res. 2015;24(5):510. Epub 2015 Feb 14.)

 

(5) Emotional Regulation: what is this all about? Exactly what you might think! Poor sleep means your child will not have control over their emotions. This is a pretty powerful concept, and I’m sure that most parents know exactly what happens when an overtired child can’t handle their emotions.

 

(6) Behavior: when we haven’t slept well, we become cranky, hyperactive, and more likely to act out and do things we normally wouldn't. This kind of thing can be contagious too, causing unnecessary, heated family arguments, and negative interactions for children and adults.

 

As you’ve read, sleep is so, so important! Try to remember this the next time your kids want to stay up late on a school night. Occasionally, this is totally fine! But remember that because sleep is so important to them, making sure they have a good sleep schedule and routine is also important to make sure they get the good, quality sleep that they need.

 

How can you make your child's sleep schedule part of their routine?

Remember: they are too young to do this themselves and they rely on you for guidance and direction.

  • Sleeping has to be a priority, even if that seems silly.

  • Make sure their bedroom is a sleep-friendly place! It should be quiet, cool, and dark. NO screens!

  • No caffeine! Ideally none at all, but avoid all sources of caffeine starting in the afternoons.

  • Do things outdoors! Sun exposure, especially early in the day, is incredibly helpful to our internal body clock and it improves sleep quality and the speed at which we fall asleep at night.

  • Help children deal with anxiety. Find a time each day to openly and honestly discuss anything that could be stressing them out. Then, anxiety and worry won't be keeping them up at night.

  • Establish a bedtime routine and make sure you follow it! This applies to kids, but it's also a great thing for adults, too. It's critical that this includes a wind-down period and a consistent "lights out" time. Quiet, calming activities like reading, taking a bath or shower, and reading are good examples. No screen time for at least 2-3 hours before bed. It won't be easy, but it's definitely worth it.

 

References:

Dr. Amy Watson
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