Through this blog, I will regularly provide new information to help your child enjoy healthy sleep.
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Blog 79
| May 16, 2022
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Recovery From Sleep Loss
In 2021, researchers in Australia studied adolescents, aged 15-17 years, all were good sleepers with more than 8 hours of sleep per night. They were experimentally studied in a sleep laboratory for 10 nights and divided into 3 groups
In the real world of parenting, ignore artificial expectations that suggest that you should always do something or never do something. Instead, focus on how often you behave a certain way.
Real World Parenting and Parental Presence at Bedtime
A study by Professor Mindell noted that parental presence at sleep onset is much more common in Asian than English-speaking countries. “Parental presence in the room at bedtime was the most potent predictor in explaining the number of night wakings, longest sleep interval, and total sleep time.”
More Sleep Problems in Children, More Mental Health Problems in Teens
A 2021 study examined sleep-wake problems at age 9 years. Sleep-wake problems occurred in some children who answered affirmatively that they frequently “had an extremely hard time falling asleep”, “fallen asleep in a morning class”, “slept in past noon”, and/or ‘stayed up all night”.
More Sleep, Fewer Emotional and Behavioral Problems
Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) “include poor social interaction, abnormal cognitive functioning, delayed school readiness and problems in later childhood, and persistent mental health problems and obesity in adulthood.”
Brain Damage and Unhealthy Sleep: Apparent versus Hidden Harm (#2)
Although we can precisely measure how much iron and calcium is needed for children, at different ages, to stay healthy, unfortunately, we do not have similar measurements for sleep duration or sleep quality.
Brain Damage and Unhealthy Sleep: Apparent versus Hidden Harm (#1)
The focus is on brain health because the brain is the only organ in the body that has a requirement for sleep. But unfortunately, brain health is an unappreciated public health concern.
Sometimes I have recommended to teenagers who are short on sleep that they take a five-day “sleep spa” treatment. No, that doesn’t mean having their parents book them into an expensive resort! It simply means dedicating five days to going to sleep earlier than usual.
Antonio was born two weeks early and without difficulty. I remember thinking several hours after his birth that he was going to be a very easy boy, since my pregnancy and delivery were both routine and relatively easy. Three days after we brought him home, however, I realized that my expectations might have been a little off.
