Improper Sleeping Habits of Children: How to Deal with them?
Sleeping habits of children and adolescents have been in the news of late. While parents are concerned about their child’s oversleeping tendency, research shows that adolescents need at least 8-10 hours of sleep. Though sleeping all the time is not good for the health of children, parents should also take their child’s age and health into consideration before panicking.
Hormonal Changes
The onset and end of puberty is marked by radical changes inside the body. Adolescence is often mistaken as an age where children start showing agitation or ‘rebel’ attitude. However, doctors believe that it is due to the production of certain hormones inside the body that result in ‘weird’ behavioral patterns among adolescents. People in the age group 11- 22 tend to sleep more. During the adolescence period, the biological clock of our body slows down a little.
How much sleep exactly
A minimum of eight hours of peaceful sleep is what doctors the world across prescribe. Children, however, require around ten hours of sleep. Adolescents are often found awake till the wee hours of the morning. Chronic sleep deprivation is the medical term for this problem. That is why good sleep hygiene must be followed in the family.
Following a routine is one of the best ways to deal with sleep problems. Children who sleep at a fixed time and get up at a scheduled time perform better than those who have irregular sleep patterns.
Sleep Deprivation
This can have adverse effects on adolescents. It inhibits their creativity, impairs memory and their learning ability, results in mood swings and irritability, and impairs the immune system to a large extent. Adolescents also show lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem due to improper sleep routine.
The Solution
The best solution to this is keeping a watch on the activities of your adolescent child. If your child is getting tired due to involvement in too any activities, you should talk to him about this and ensure that he spends time in only the things that he loves and are important. Parents should not watch TV late night in front of their children. Parents must cultivate good habits so that their children also follow the same.
Many families do not have fixed dinner timing. Dinner should be served at around 8’o clock. Your child’s room should be quiet, well ventilated, away from TV, and pleasant interiors. Keep an eye on your child and ensure that he does not take caffeine or alcohol. These stimulate the nervous system and often cause unrest.
Many children come home from school and go to bed. While a power nap (30-45 minutes) during the day can be great, too much of sleep during the afternoon can also be a cause of restlessness during the night time. Charlotte Bronte says “A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.”
The kind of food you serve your child is also important for his health. Oily food or recipes that involve a lot of spices sometimes cause uneasiness. If your child does not show any improvement even after following the aforementioned advice, you should consult a doctor.
Hormonal Changes
The onset and end of puberty is marked by radical changes inside the body. Adolescence is often mistaken as an age where children start showing agitation or ‘rebel’ attitude. However, doctors believe that it is due to the production of certain hormones inside the body that result in ‘weird’ behavioral patterns among adolescents. People in the age group 11- 22 tend to sleep more. During the adolescence period, the biological clock of our body slows down a little.
How much sleep exactly
A minimum of eight hours of peaceful sleep is what doctors the world across prescribe. Children, however, require around ten hours of sleep. Adolescents are often found awake till the wee hours of the morning. Chronic sleep deprivation is the medical term for this problem. That is why good sleep hygiene must be followed in the family.
Following a routine is one of the best ways to deal with sleep problems. Children who sleep at a fixed time and get up at a scheduled time perform better than those who have irregular sleep patterns.
Sleep Deprivation
This can have adverse effects on adolescents. It inhibits their creativity, impairs memory and their learning ability, results in mood swings and irritability, and impairs the immune system to a large extent. Adolescents also show lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem due to improper sleep routine.
The Solution
The best solution to this is keeping a watch on the activities of your adolescent child. If your child is getting tired due to involvement in too any activities, you should talk to him about this and ensure that he spends time in only the things that he loves and are important. Parents should not watch TV late night in front of their children. Parents must cultivate good habits so that their children also follow the same.
Many families do not have fixed dinner timing. Dinner should be served at around 8’o clock. Your child’s room should be quiet, well ventilated, away from TV, and pleasant interiors. Keep an eye on your child and ensure that he does not take caffeine or alcohol. These stimulate the nervous system and often cause unrest.
Many children come home from school and go to bed. While a power nap (30-45 minutes) during the day can be great, too much of sleep during the afternoon can also be a cause of restlessness during the night time. Charlotte Bronte says “A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.”
The kind of food you serve your child is also important for his health. Oily food or recipes that involve a lot of spices sometimes cause uneasiness. If your child does not show any improvement even after following the aforementioned advice, you should consult a doctor.
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