If you have not already done so, please read Blog Posts 1 through 5 that describe how sleep is important and beneficial. I will post specific information for parents and children based on my book, “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.” Please do not be put off by my book’s length. This is a reference book. Read only the topic of interest to you.
Blog Posts 1–5 describe what constitutes healthy sleep and explain in detail the benefits of sleep for your child. They are based on Chapter 11, titled “Sleep Readiness”, in the United States of America Department of the Army field manual (FM 7-22). This official Army document describes what is healthy sleep and what are the benefits of sleep. Updated in 2020, it is based on empirical data using traditional scientific methods. “In brain health and mental functioning there is no such thing as too much sleep. The more sleep the brain gets the better it functions.” For example: Improved mental acuity, judgement, attention, understanding, learning, situational awareness, mood, resilience, general well-being, ability to remember and appropriately utilize newly acquired skills and information, faster response times, fewer errors, and fewer lapses of attention,
“The restorative effects of sleep accrue primarily to the brain and are primarily manifested as improved cognitive performance. Accordingly, it is especially important that leaders [Parents] and others engaged in higher-order cognitive tasks-such as mission planning, decision making, risk assessment, and problem solving-are afforded and take full advantage of opportunities to obtain adequate sleep. Planning for sleep in training and tactical environments is a leader [Parent] competency.
Insufficient sleep degrades the brain’s function. The more sleep the brain gets, the better it functions. The effects of inadequate sleep on brain function and performance are well-documented.
Insufficient sleep negatively affects not only cognitive performance, but emotional and social functioning. Adequate sleep promotes an optimistic outlook and social acuity, but failure to obtain adequate sleep on a regular basis makes a person less resilient to stress and stress-related disorders including depression.
In short, the brain has a physiological need for sleep, and sleep promotes the ability to think and maintain mental toughness. And the more sleep, the better.”
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