How important is a bedtime for children?
Infants, children, and adolescents who do not get sufficient sleep are at increased risk for injuries, obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, attention and behavior problems, and poor cognitive development (1). The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the CDC (2) provides age-specific sleep duration recommendations to promote optimal health (See below guidelines) (1).
The CDC analyzed data from the 2016–2018 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) to assess the prevalence of short sleep duration among persons in the United States aged 4 months–17 years. Overall, on the basis of parent report, 34.9% of persons aged 4 months–17 years slept less than recommended for their age. “
This means about 35% of this age group did not meet the sleep duration recommendation from the AASM (American Academy of Sleep Medicine).
35% of children are now at higher risk for injuries, obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, attention and behavior problems, and poor cognitive development. What!!
More specific risks associated with regularly sleeping fewer than the number of recommended hours is associated with attention, behavior, and learning problems. Insufficient sleep also increases the risk of accidents, injuries, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and depression. Insufficient sleep in teenagers is associated with increased risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts. (3)
How do you help your child avoid these risks?
So, now that we know how much sleep, or lack of, can have an impact. What do we do to make sure our children are happy and healthy? According, to the research, regular bedtimes increased the likelihood of adequate sleep duration.
Basically, research has found that children 4 months- 17 years with a regular bedtime are more likely to get enough sleep.
Overall, the prevalence of short sleep duration was lower among persons aged 4 months–17 years with a regular bedtime than among those without a regular bedtime (27.5% versus 38.6%). Similar patterns were observed within each age group.
Y’all, the evidence here supports regular weeknight bedtimes!
So, what is the recommended sleep duration for my child? Below are the current guidelines.
- Infants* 4 months to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
- Children 1 to 2 years of age should sleep 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
- Children 3 to 5 years of age should sleep 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
- Children 6 to 12 years of age should sleep 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
- Teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
* Recommendations for infants younger than 4 months are not included due to the wide range of normal variation in duration and patterns of sleep, and insufficient evidence for associations with health outcomes.
If you have felt like your child fights you on this or just won't listen to the evidence: therapy might be helpful. Therapy can provide them a space to figure out the WHY they're fighting it. Once they have the WHY, we can move to the HOW.
If you remember being a child, you may remember wanting to have control over your own life. Serene Trails Therapy can assist this challenging dynamic for you and your children. Let's get everyone feeling in control, confident, healthy, and connected.
To schedule a free consultation or book an intake appointment you can check the office's availability on the patient portal, text 561-335-6658, or fill out an inquiry form. We can't wait to get you and/or your family on a more enjoyable, healthy, and beneficial path!
Get your sleep!
References
(1) Wheaton AG, Claussen AH. Short Sleep Duration Among Infants, Children, and Adolescents Aged 4 Months–17 Years — United States, 2016–2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1315–1321. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7038a1
(2) Center for Disease Control (web) https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html
(3) Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D'Ambrosio C, Hall WA, Kotagal S, Lloyd RM, Malow BA, Maski K, Nichols C, Quan SF, Rosen CL, Troester MM, Wise MS. Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(6):785–786.
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