We know how we can get cranky sometimes when deprived of sleep. Something that is so essential to us has now become a luxury in adulthood. According to Dr Richard Swinbourne, PhD, Senior Sport Dietitian and Sleep Scientist from Singapore Sport Institute, “We have lost two hours of sleep per night on average, compared to 40 years ago, slowly killing us through increased disease risk.” A separate meta-analysis of 16 studies revealed that insufficient sleep can increase the risk of early death by as high as 12%.
As sleep is also essential to our children, we should ensure they get an optimal amount of it in their developmental years.
Importance of sleep in children’s developmental years
These are among the many benefits of adequate sleep for our children.
1. Promotes growth
We often marvel at how fast children grow. This is possibly true as the growth hormone is primarily secreted during deep sleep. With deep sleep taking up about 50% of their critical growing up years, it becomes essential for adequate growth.
2. Reduces health risks
During sleep, proteins known as cytokines are produced. Our body relies on cytokines to fight infection, illness and stress. Sufficient sleep helps prevent excessive brain arousal during sleep and also elevated blood glucose and cortisol causing vascular damage. The latter lowers the risk of diabetes, obesity and even heart disease. With adequate sleep boosting immunity, our children are less susceptible to disease and illness, allowing them to stay in the pink of health.
3. Helps manage weight issues
Yes, children may experience weight issues too. Evidence is showing that insufficient sleep is one cause of children becoming overweight. A hormone called leptin signals us to stop eating when feeling full or satisfied. Sleep deprivation impacts the secretion of this hormone, resulting in possible overeating and obesity over time. Additionally, being energetic from getting enough rest curbs the craving for higher-fat or higher-carb foods, and enables our children to get active and burn calories.
4. Boosts concentration and learning
Studies have shown that naps have a pronounced impact on memory and learning retention. Compared to children who did not take a nap after learning, those who did were observed to be able to retain most of what they had learned. Adequate sleep impacts cognitive performance, vocabulary acquisition, learning and memory. Furthermore, children before the age of three who consistently sleep at least 10 hours per night are three times less likely to have hyperactivity and impulsivity problems by the age of six. Try including a short 30-minute nap into our kids’ daily routine!
Recommended amount of sleep for various age groups
How do we know our kids are getting adequate rest, or how much is adequate? ActiveSG's Active Health suggests for:
Tips to ensure our children get adequate sleep
Knowing how critical sleep is to our children, here are some tips to condition them for optimal rest: