Getting enough sleep every day is crucial for children who are in the stage of growth and development, and adults can sleep for a few hours, and for children, it may be sleep deprivation.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that to promote optimal health, the length of sleep in a day (including daytime naps):
Infants aged 4-12 months should reach 12-16 hours;
Toddlers aged 1-2 years should reach 11-14 hours;
Children aged 3-5 years should reach 10-13 hours;
Children aged 6-12 years should reach 9-12 hours;
Adolescents aged 13-18 years should reach 8-10 hours.
Why is adequate sleep advocated?
Lack of sleep in children can cause more harm:
01 Effect on height:
50% of the daily growth hormone secreted by children is secreted early after deep sleep at night, that is, it reaches its peak about 1 hour of deep sleep, and a lower peak can be seen in later sleep. If the duration and quality of sleep is disturbed, the peak of growth hormone secretion will be delayed or not as high as it should be, and the growth of height will be affected.
02 Effect on body weight:
In 2014, Boeke et al. in the United States found that chronic sleep deprivation can cause a decrease in leptin levels, and it is more pronounced in 7-year-old girls and male adolescents.
Leptin can suppress appetite and promote energy expenditure, which is negatively correlated with the occurrence of obesity; In other words, the lower the leptin level, the more likely the child is to become obese.
It is important to know that obesity is an adverse factor for growing taller, and the "2019 China Adolescent and Children's Sleep Index*** also suggests that the proportion of children with insufficient sleep time is 365%, while the child who gets enough sleep is only 37%。
03 Effect on emotional and behavioral problems:
A UK survey of 108 preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years found that children with persistent sleep deprivation had increased symptoms of attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, depression and anxiety after 3 years compared to the control group. We have also talked many times before about the impact of bad emotions on a child's height.
Some parents may ask, since sleep deprivation will have an impact on children's emotions and cognition, can I let children sleep for a few more hours on the original basis?
The study found that children's sleep time and good mood were U-shaped, and that children's well-being was optimal within the recommended sleep time range for their age. Sleeping too little and too much sleep can cause adverse emotional reactions in children
How long does it take to sleep each day?
Help everyone make a simple and easy to remember**:
In addition, children of different ages also have their own correct sleep schedules, which is the advice of Harriet Hiscock, a child sleep expert from the Australian Children's Institute, for children of all ages
Some parents may want to say, I know it's not good to sleep late, and I want him to go to bed early, but at night, it's like playing "chicken blood", and he has unlimited energy, what's going on?
What affects a child's sleep?
The habit of parents going to bed late affects children
Parents are a mirror of their children, and many times, children's living habits and behaviors will be subtly influenced by their parents. If parents get used to going to bed late, it will make the child feel that it is not the time to go to bed, and even if he is sleepy, he will insist on playing. Studies have shown that if a pregnant mother has a habit of going to bed late during pregnancy, the child may also be excited and not sleep.
On the one hand, if the family is used to going to bed late, and the home is still filled with the sound of TV and chat when the child sleeps, the child will naturally be affected and unwilling to sleep alone; On the other hand, if the child is excited at night, it is also very difficult to fall asleep.
For example, some parents play games with their children at night that are too intense, or reprimand their children before going to sleep, which will cause their children to be emotional and unable to fall asleep on time.
Nap too late or too long,
Causes children to develop a biological clock that falls asleep late
Sometimes, parents take their children out to play on weekends, delaying the child's nap time, or in the face of "playful" children, parents are helpless, let the children play until late in the afternoon, sleep until five or six o'clock in the afternoon, and wait until the evening The child is of course energetic and unable to fall asleep early. In the long run, the child's biological clock gradually forms a vicious circle of "not sleeping at night and not getting up in the morning", or long-term lack of sleep, which affects growth and development.
Let the child fall asleep on time
A great way to sleep soundly
Create a good sleeping atmosphere for your child
Many times, children are still in a state of excitement when it is time to go to bed, and they can't sleep even if they do, mostly because the sleep atmosphere is not enough. Therefore, it is important to create a good sleeping atmosphere for your child before going to bed, and to calm your child's emotions in advance. For example, parents should first put down their work, put down their mobile phones, turn off the TV, and tell their children that it is time to sleep; Try to go to sleep half an hour earlier, you can tell a story to your child, then turn off the lights, put a soothing light ** if necessary, or parents can sleep with your child. Habit formation is possible in the beginning.
It can be difficult, but as long as you keep doing this, your child will gradually develop a good habit of going to bed on time.
Increase your child's exercise during the day
If you want your child to fall asleep on time at night, the amount of exercise during the day must ensure that you have at least two hours of outdoor activity time every day, and you can play some sports games that you are interested in, so that your child's energy can be released during the day. When you are tired at night, it is easier to fall asleep and sleep more soundly.
Choose the right nap time
We generally advocate that children take a nap for 1 or 2 hours after a walk at lunch, and they should get up at about two o'clock, and if the child has not woken up, you can kiss the child's cheek; Or put some light **, open the door, let the child listen to the natural sound of the home, wake up in a warm environment, this is also the way to cultivate the child's good mood.
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