We’ve written before about the importance of sleep in children – now an article from USA Today reminds us of just how important it really is.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), around 25% of children experience some type of sleep problem. More than a third of elementary school children and 40% of adolescents have significant sleep complaints. Furthermore, they found that 5% of children are sleep deprived.
These are rather shocking statistics – so what’s to blame? Technology such as text messaging may cause insomnia, however the AASM argues that it’s simply a case of kids going to bed too late and getting up too early.
Insufficient sleep affects your child’s cognitive ability as well as their emotional and physical health. Think about developing a pre-sleep routine for your child. Remove distractions such as video games from the bedroom. Avoid feeding your kids close to bedtime.
Act now to ensure your child develops healthy sleeping habits – you’ll have a smarter, healthier and happier child as a result.