New Sleep Guidelines For Children Aimed For Better Health

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In a recent report published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the results came after an intensive pediatrics research where a panel of experts from the AASM studied how sleep affects mental health, cardiovascular development, metabolic rates, immunology and life performance.

Recommended sleep guidelines for children aimed for better health and growth

• The AASM presented a table of adolescent sleep recommendations based on the age of the child;
• Infants from 4 to 12 months – 12 to 16 hours of sleep
• Toddlers from 1 to 2 years old- 11 to 14 hours
• Preschoolers from 3 to 5 years old- 10 to 13 hours
• School-age children from 6 to 12 years old- 9 to 12 hours
• Teenagers 13 to 18 years old – 8 to 10 hours

Sleep specialist and nursing professor Wendy Hall said that sleep deprivation is becoming a health risk and they see a growing trend which parents have difficulty addressing with their children, as with the proliferation of electronic devices that causes children to stay up late.

“Reading a book, telling a story, singing a song, or getting into a toothbrush routine help kids settle into sleep better,” says Hall, suggesting that it is also highly recommended to ban electronic devices in the bedroom.

Hall also pointed out that creating an atmosphere that induces sleep is greatly encouraged by making the bedroom cool, dark and quiet, as well as properly training children to develop a habit of proper sleep times, adequate sleep duration, quality and regularity of sleep.

The study found that health concerns were different among age groups based on lifestyle and activities, however, the risk to health dangers is very imminent, according to researchers.

Toddlers who lack adequate sleep were likely to experience difficulty in focusing and retaining language and displayed signs of aggressive behavior and were less social with peers.

Preschoolers were found to suffer lack of memory consolidation, language development issues and lesser quality of life.

School age children were more prone to increased risks of obesity and cellular inflammation, as well as insulin resistance.

Teenagers were likely to suffer athletic injuries, high levels of cellular inflammation and insulin resistance.

In a another study conducted by the Northwestern University of Chicago, researchers claimed that having a stable sleeping pattern can help your heart  recover and rejuvenate from the stresses of everyday living and can help prevent diseases.

The team who conducted the study claim that a stable bedtime habit with adequate sleeping times supports the heart in filtering out stress hormones, as the body’s system of begins the recovery process as they studied an internal mechanism called the circadian rhythm.

This process, also called the body clock, allows the body to synchronize body functions in relation to the 24-hour rotational pattern of the Earth. In humans, this clock is regulated by the body senses, particularly the eyes as it perceives light as day and dark as nighttime, as well as the way skin senses temperature changes.

With the newly recommended sleep guidelines for children, researchers hope that parents may be able to take this seriously to address their children’s sleeping habits.

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