If there?s one thing parents love to talk about, it?s sleep. How little they?re getting. What strategies they?re trying. Who woke up last night and when. How they might sneak in a nap, if possible.
So it?s somewhat surprising that despite all of this, many children simply aren?t getting enough shut-eye, leaving them cranky, nodding off at school and at risk for a range of health problems later on, including obesity and behavioral and learning problems. Research has long shown that poor sleep quality (that is, trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep) is linked to poorer school performance.
It?s such a vital issue that last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a PSA on the topic, to help ensure that parents don?t just talk about sleep, but actually know how many hours their kids really need. Watch it below:
It’s an especially important topic at this time of year, since the holiday season can wreak havoc on kids? sleep?and also come with a few legit safety hazards, notes pediatrician Elizabeth Murray, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, who works in the pediatric emergency medicine department at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
“To start, there?s holiday travel, which disrupts your schedule from the moment you leave home,” says Murray. “Flying to visit relatives can thrust you into in a new time zone and rob everyone of the hard-won ability to fall asleep at bedtime. Plus, there?s the daunting prospect of ...