A teacher at a school may not be able to understand why a particular child is repeatedly failing to concentrate on his class work as well as homework. He may meet his parents several times and his parents may also try to contact several therapists assuming it to be a case of attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But they may not realize that the real problem may be sleeplessness.
Sleep struggles are endless. Sleeplessness in a child has the capability to affect his entire family! You may also have to undergo sleepless nights while trying hard to invite your child's sleep fairy! And repeated parent-calls may also deprive you from a goodnight's sleep. School aged children need at least 10 to 12 hours of sleep per day. Homework, sports and after-school activities, TVs, computers, and video games as well as hectic family may contribute to lack of sleep in children.
A recent research has verified that chronic poor sleep results in daytime tiredness, difficulties with focused attention, low threshold to express negative emotions (irritability and easy frustration) and difficulty modulating impulses and emotions. The effects of lack of sleep in children have been summarized below:
- Falling Asleep in the Class: It is natural that if a child is not sleeping properly for sufficient time at night, then he is bound to sleep in the class the very next morning. It is very distractive for other children as well. The child will obviously miss out on the information given by his teachers or just listen to it half heartedly or with lack of interest. He will not feel fresh and energetic.
- Lack of Concentration: Lack of sleep will bring tiredness in your child and he will not be able to focus well on his studies or in anything that is important because his entire focus will tend to rest on one thing - sleep!
- Irritability: It can cause irritation or hyper behavior, making it difficult for children to concentrate at school.
- IQ Impairment: Researchers at the University of Virginia have found that insomnia or lack of sleep can impair IQ and cognitive development in children. They can also score lower grades at school and may not be able to develop good peer relations. Experts opine that sleep protects memories from interference. The faster you fall asleep after studying for an exam, the more likely you are to remember it later.
- Emotional Problems: Lack of sleep can raise the level of the stress hormone cortisol. One may have problems related to depression and anxiety. This can make a child to feel sad, angry, exhausted, nauseous and worried all the time. Since he is just a child, so he may not be able to know how to handle these negative emotions. He may just cry, lose all his hope and confidence. Fear may start nesting inside his mind.
- Weight Problems: A study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that lack of sleep in children can result in obesity. As per the findings, for every extra hour of sleep a child got, the risk dropped by 9 percent. The study also found out that children who were deprived of sleep were 92 percent more likely to become obese adults than those who got sleep.
- Difficulty in Logical Thinking: Lack of sleep brings in tiredness and that kills his ability to think in a logical way. Presence of mind and an active mind is very important to develop logical thinking. Things that the child is learning at school may get lost due to sleep deprivation.
- Development of ADHD: A study conducted by the University of Michigan and published in Pediatrics Magazine found that sleep apnea, snoring and other sleep disorders can cause or contribute to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. When parents of children with ADD were interviewed, they usually identified their kids as poor or restless sleepers, who were found to wake up more often at night than their peers.
- Diabetes: This is another ill effect of sleep deprivation in children. Sleep deprivation in itself affects glucose absorption. According to the American Diabetes Association even a two hour reduction of sleep per night for one week is related to the increased levels of pro inflammatory cytokins and low grade inflammation, a condition known to predispose insulin resistance, thereby raising the risk of diabetes. Risk of obesity from lack of sleep can also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.
We could only expect bedtime fairy tales and a loving caress from our mother or grandmother when we were a child! We could hug our teddy bear while falling asleep! Those were the days when we used to see the unicorn, the Fairy Godmother, the moonlit forest and huge castles in our dream. Can't we provide the same bedtime atmosphere to the kids of this generation? What should the parents and the teachers have to say about it?
