School start times vary between elementary, middle and high school times making it difficult to establish and maintain a consistent schedule for K-12. However, sleep needs change as children develop and it's important that school start times reflect this change. What also needs to be considered when decided school start times is how they impact parents. Continue reading to see what optimal start times are for different age groups and how they impact everyone's sleep.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that impacts your ability to breathe during the night. Although discussed as a part of adult health, children could also be at risk for sleep apnea. It's important that you recognize if your child has sleep apnea and get them the proper help as proper oxygenation and quality sleep is important for their growth and development.
For women, there is that time once a month when you experience your menstrual cycle. However, the menstrual cycle is not isolated to just those 3-7 days. There are often extra-cycle symptoms that affect women a majority of the days in a month. If there are numerous symptoms or the severity of them is great, then you may be diagnosed with PMS or PMDD. A common symptom that women with PMS or PMDD experience is insomnia. Continue reading to find out how your menstrual cycle may be negatively impacting your sleep.
Cosleeping is a term for sleeping with your baby or child in the same bed. Although there are different theories on the safety and wellbeing effects of cosleeping, this practice may help you and your child in the long run. It's important to note that small infants who are at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) should not be in the same bed, but should be in a separate space with a firm mattress and a fitted sheet to avoid suffocation. However, as children grow older and their safety risks decline, extended cosleeping may still be an option for your family. Read more to decide if this is the right move for your family.
The amount of sleep babies and children need fluctuate from 17 hours for newborns to 9 hours for school-aged children [Baby Center]. A lack of sleep for children can significantly impact children's performance, both in school and in behavior.
For children with existing conditions that affect their learning, sleep problems further compound their inability to properly learn.
How much sleep your child should be getting depends on how old they are. While every child is different, here is a rough estimate of how much sleep children should be getting based on age:
The above numbers are total sleep hours, including naps.
Sleep apnea is a medical condition where you stop breathing many times throughout the night and, in consequence, momentarily wake up to begin breathing again. Symptoms of sleep apnea in children are also the same as adults, though you might describe some of the symptoms more in child-like terms:
For children some of their symptoms are very similar to those seen in adults:
Children, ages 0-17, need a lot more sleep than adults. The recommended amount of sleep for children varies with age. Here are some ranges that you will commonly see for nighttime sleep recommendations [NHS]:
Of course, we are all individuals and your child may need a bit more or less sleep than indicated above. Also, naptime is important for babies and toddlers in addition to the above recommendations for nighttime sleep.
Children need more sleep than adults. The younger the child, the more sleep they need. Below is a guideline for the recommended minimum and maximum amount of sleep your child should be getting based on their age [Sleep Foundation]. All children are different and have unique needs, but this general guideline can provide you with a baseline on which to customize.
What’s important is to try and establish what amount of sleep allows your child to perform best. When children don’t get enough, they will suffer from sleep deprivation. Sometimes, sleep deprivation can mirror ADHD. Continue reading to learn more about the differences between the two, and how to tell them apart.
When your child isn’t sleeping enough, they will likely show signs such as being defiant, hyperactive, and/or crabby. If children don't get enough sleep, there may be an increase in behavioral issues. Signs your child isn’t sleeping enough include:
In fact, there is an increasing body of evidence from studies that children with chronic sleep problems can be misdiagnosed with ADHD (Shur-Fen Gau 2006). Another important thing is to try and establish a baseline of behavior and performance for your child so it's easier to decipher what is normal and what is uncharacteristic.
If your child’s behavior/performance is erratic from day to day, or if they are uncharacteristically defiant/crabby/sleepy, look at their sleep schedule.
Children need more sleep than adults. The younger the child, the more sleep they need. Below is a guideline for the amount of recommended, minimum, and maximum amount of sleep your child should be getting based on their age [Sleep Foundation]. All children are different and have unique needs, hence there is a recommended number listed, and outside of that a minimum and maximum amount of sleep are listed as well:
It's important to try and establish what amount of sleep allows your child to perform best. When children don’t get enough sleep, they will experience sleep deprivation.