A new study has revealed just how important getting enough sleep is for our little ones
With our little ones recently returning to the classroom after a long summer break, many parents are struggling to adjust their children’s sleeping patterns accordingly. But new research suggests that getting enough sleep could be even more important than previously thought when it comes to our children’s health and wellbeing.
Published in Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, the study reveals that children who fail to get nine hours of sleep could experience significant consequences in terms of their cognitive wellbeing. We’re going to take a closer look at this study’s findings, and explore what steps you can take to improve your little one’s sleeping pattern in the long term.
The findings
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine enrolled over 8,200 children and undertook MRI scans in order to collect imagining information on their brains. They also looked at their medical records, and had both the children and their parents fill out questionnaires regarding their sleeping behaviours.
The study found that children between the ages of six and 12 who get less than the nine hours of sleep recommended for people their age by the National Sleep Foundation can suffer from impaired cognitive wellbeing. This includes memory problems, less problem solving, irrational decision making and more.
Professor of Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and lead author of the paper, Ze Wang, commented on the study’s findings, saying: “Because the adolescent brain is still under rapid development, sustained sleep deficits may lead to permanent impairment to the brain and to the cognitive functions. Getting good sleep back is crucial to teens’ brain and mental health.”
Is this damage long term?
In short, yes. A check-up was conducted on participants both one and two years after the initial study, and this found that the cognitive deficits persisted. Over time, these cognitive deficits also become associated with mental health concerns like anxiety and depression.
Researchers suggest that this may be due to the vicious cycle created by not getting enough sleep, which impacts mental health, which in turn makes it more difficult to sleep, and so it continues. However, they do also say that these negative effects “should be able to be improved and reversed by changing sleep habits and patterns.”
How to improve your child’s sleep health
The researchers behind the study conclude that parents should aim to get their children to sleep for at least the recommended number of hours, or even more. This involves creating a sleep schedule that can be stuck to every day, making good sleep a well-practised habit.
Wang comments: “Do not frequently change the circadian rhythm. Carry out procedures such as meditation to reduce stress and anxiety.” This can become part of an evening wind down period, during which screen time is reduced and relaxation is encouraged. It may involve a warm bath or shower, a bedtime story, stretches or journalling. You should also make sure your kids are getting enough fresh air and exercise during the day to encourage tiredness when bedtime rolls around.