|
Sleepless Kids Its 6:53AM, less than 7 hours after going to bed and Saras up again. Brushing her teeth, taking her shower and getting ready for a new day. Studies suggest a teenager should get almost 10 hours of sleep every night, but in Saras case?
“It kinda depends on if I have swim practice in the morning or how late I was studying the night before usually its about six,” admits Sara. Thats a four-hour shortfall a night and doctors say for kids especially that kind of self-inflicted sleep deprivation can catch up quickly. According to Dr. Robert Prinsell, M.D./Sleep Specialist, “Someone that chronically was not getting the sleep that they need, in addition to having poor performance in school, such as grades failing, socially they might be a little more irritable.” Perhaps more seriously, sleeplessness takes a toll on motor skills and can prove deadly when a drowsy teen tries to drive. In addition, a lack of sleep can stunt growth since night is when a childs brain secretes growth hormones. But, all the evidence doesnt put a dent in Saras desire to push herself to exhaustion. Sara says, “Well I guess if I was gonna do this anytime, like not sleep, this is a good time, I mean Im healthy and I take pretty good care of myself and I sleep when I can.” |
“So someone that chronically was not getting the sleep that they need, in addition to having poor performance in schools such as grades failing, socially they might be a little more irritable.” Dr. Robert Prinsell |
|||
 |
||||
|
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW Is your child getting enough sleep at night? A recent study shows that on average, teenagers are getting about two hours less sleep a night than they need. Teens are staying up too late and getting up too early which can lead to exhausted and worn-out kids. They are more likely to fall asleep at school and at greater risk for automobile accidents. According to the U.S. department of Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 100,000 car crashes a year are linked to drowsy driving. Almost half involved drivers ages 15 to 24. Let’s face it, our children’s lives are busier than ever. They have a tremendous number of academic, extracurricular and social pressures. Add to that, jobs and working hard to get into a top-notch college, who can waste time sleeping? But, its importance is crucial. Parents and teens should work together to establish a good sleep plan and then hold to it. Sleeping in on the weekends should be encouraged if needed, but limit the extra time sleeping to one to two hours. Don’t do things before bed that will cause your child to perk up. Limiting exposure to light in the late evening will keep your childs body clock on track. People who continuously get less sleep than their body needs have built up what experts call a sleep debt. This is when the lack of sleep accumulates over time and it takes its toll on intellectual and motor functions. If you can not get the sleep you need every night, it is important to try and make it up as soon as possible. Some people try to do this on the weekends or by taking naps. But, experts say this often only makes a small dent in a large sleep dept and the brain still feels the need to sleep through out the day. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
Resources
|
||||
|
USA Today
National Sleep Foundation – http://www.sleepfoundation.org/ – 888-673-7533 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute – http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/sleep/index.htm National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – http://www. Nhtsa.dit.gov/people/perform/human/ |
||||
Recent Comments