ST. LOUIS — Students will be heading back to school soon and that means going to bed earlier and waking up sooner.
Dr. Joseph Espiritu, a sleep doctor, at St. Louis University said parents should start adjusting their child’s sleep patterns now. He said for every hour they have to adjust, it takes one or two days. So if your child has been sleeping in until 10 a.m., and typically wakes up at 7 a.m. for school, it could take them a week to get back on track.
Typically, children need 7 ½ hours of sleep and teens need 9 ½. Not getting enough sleep can have an impact on your children’s health.
“Insufficient sleep has its consequences. First, your mental function is impaired. You feel sleepy, you feel tired, you’re not as alert. Your vigilance is reduced,” said Dr. Espiritu.
Also, when you sleep, your body releases a growth hormone so if children aren’t getting enough sleep, it can curb their development. It also makes it harder to concentrate in class, according to Dr. Espiritu. He also said the quality of sleep is important.
“Rem sleep is also important in consolidating your memory, your learning, etcetera. So if you have short snippets of sleep here and there, it may not allow you to go through all of the stages of sleep especially the deeper ones that help you regenerate,” he said.
Getting your children to fall asleep sooner can be a challenge. Dr. Espiritu said kids should put away smartphones, tablets, and not watch T.V. because those bright screens can make it harder for them to fall asleep.
