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.
Conclusion: Brain Damage May Be Associated with Unhealthy Sleep; Brain Health May Be Associated with Healthy Sleep
Differential susceptibility means that there are genetic differences between children regarding how much they will react to a specific environmental event such as short sleep durations.
Differential sensitivity means that an individual child might react differently to a specific environmental event such as short sleep durations (for example, impaired cognitive function versus depressed mood).
So not all children will react the same way to sleep disruptions (Blog Post 14). Nevertheless, over time, the adverse effects from disrupted sleep will progressively increase. (Blog Posts 84–86).
The fundamental fact is that there is a biologically controlled circadian sleep rhythm (Blog Post 112) that reflects the brain’s output for sleep. Importantly, if parents respect their child’s need for sleep, their child will have a healthier brain. Sadly, however, the connection between brain health and healthy sleep is not widely appreciated (Blog Post 38).
CHILD SLEEP ADVICE – CONCLUSIONS
A healthy child needs a healthy brain.
A healthy brain needs healthy sleep.
