children

The Importance of Sleep for Kids’ Emotional Well-being

December 13, 2019

Kids need more sleep than any other age group, but they don’t seem to be getting enough. According to recent data released by the CDC, only 25.4% of high school students get more than 8 hours of sleep every night, and that percentage decreases a little more every year. While it’s not entirely clear what’s causing this decline in sleep duration and quality, some experts have theorized increased screen time is one culprit; others say it could be the early school start times or kids’ hectic schedules.

Losing out on sleep doesn’t just make us tired— when we get fewer than 8-9 hours of sleep, our bodies miss out key processes like cellular and muscular repair and memory consolidation.

Then, during the day, our capacity to retain memories, even short-term ones, decreases (which can affect grades and academic performance).

Evidence shows with less sleep, we may temporarily lose our ability to regulate emotions or pick up on social cues— two things kids need for emotional well-being. Researchers have been studying the link between mental illness and sleep for years, and many have concluded a lack of sleep can lead to or exacerbate mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and stress.

How Sleep Affects Kids’ Mental Health

Kids and teenagers experience rapid physical, emotional, and mental growth in just a few short years. During this time (between ages 10-16), their circadian rhythms shift. They naturally gravitate to later bedtimes, but they still have to wake up early because of early school start times. This results in much less sleep than they need!

The harmful effects of sleep deprivation are only intensified in kids and teenagers— during their formative years, their brains develop critical thinking skills, they learn social cues, and they begin to understand how to cope with emotions. These developmental milestones can be stunted by poor sleep.

Some of the more noticeable symptoms of sleep deprivation in kids and teenagers include:

Hyperactivity
Sleeping too much or frequent daytime naps
Mood swings
Behavioral issues
Trouble concentrating
Poor academic performance

How Much Sleep Do Kids Need?

We’ve been trying to figure out why children and teenagers don’t get enough sleep for hundreds of years— in fact, the earliest children’s sleep study was conducted in 1897. And since that time, the recommended sleep times have declined right along with kids’ sleep habits. However, in our modern age, we’ve been able to see the long-term effects of getting enough sleep, and the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of a solid 8-10 hours for kids aged 13-18.

The American Academy of Medicine recommends the following sleep times based on age:

4-12 years old: 12-16 hours
1-2 years old: 11-14 hours
3-5 years: 10-13 hours
6-12 years: 9-12 hours
13-18 years: 8-10 hours

Sleep deprivation symptoms in preteens and older kids are pretty easy to spot, but they can be mistaken for other issues, like stress. Thankfully, addressing their emotional health issues can lead to better sleep, and vice versa.

Establishing Better Sleep Habits for Kids

Blaming early start times for kids’ lack of sleep is popular, but it’s not the only reason they aren’t sleeping. Some teenagers cite time management as a major roadblock to their sleep— they want more sleep, but they tend to prioritize other things over it. Others say they are too stressed to sleep, suggesting kids and teenagers need to adopt better sleep hygiene and stress management practices.

Many of the most common suggestions for better sleep hygiene overlap with stress management tactics. Some of these include:

Taking a warm bath before bed. Research shows taking a warm bath 1-2 hours before bedtime can help us fall asleep up to 10 minutes faster. Your body temperature begins to drop before sleep, and a warm bath can actually speed this process up— as you get out of the bath, your body works extra hard to cool down, making you a little more drowsy than you might normally be.

Avoiding blue light, especially from phones or e-readers held close to the face. A recent review of studies investigating the link between kids and sleep found that 90% of those studies found a connection between screen time and delayed/incomplete sleep.

Practicing deep breathing or journaling before bed. Writing down all your thoughts at the end of the day is a great stress management strategy. It essentially “removes” the worries from your head so they don’t keep you tossing and turning all night.
Dimming the bedroom lights. Our bodies run on a circadian clock, which is regulated by the 24-hour light-dark cycle. In other words, when the sun goes down, your body knows it’s time to prepare for sleep. If you keep bright lights on in your bedroom, you may have a harder time falling asleep.
Keeping the thermostat between 68-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Researchers have found the optimal temperature for sleep is somewhere between 68-75 degrees Fahrenheit. If this seems too cold or hot for you, adjust your thermostat accordingly.
Going to bed and waking up at a consistent time every night, including weekends. One 2018 study found that children with consistent bedtime routines showed better memory retention and cognitive ability. Your kids will probably have an easier time with this if you start young— a study published by Sleep Junkie learned that establishing healthy sleep hygiene habits when kids were young led to better sleep habits as they grew older.

The Key to Better Sleep

If your child is struggling with sleep, there are solutions to help them get back on a more consistent schedule. Start by tweaking sleep hygiene habits, reducing screen time before bed, and sticking to a regular bedtime routine. If your child’s sleep deprivation goes untreated, it can lead to stress, depression, and poor emotional regulation. Start better sleep hygiene practices today to see what a difference it makes in your child’s life.