Sleep allows the brain and body to regenerate. However, people rarely get the sleep they should. What does recent research state about the importance of sleep for preschoolers and teenagers?
Naps and Preschoolers
Caretakers often look forward to nap times because it is a break in the day without noisy children. There seem to be other benefits, as well.
Pennsylvania State University has recent research showing napping in preschoolers reduces
- Hyperactivity
- Anxiety
- Depression
The recent study released by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine studied 62 children and found benefits for children to sleep 3.4 days a week or more. "There is a lot of individual variability in the when children are ready to give up naps. I would encourage parents to include a quite ‘rest’ time in their daily schedule that would allow children to nap if necessary," said Brian Crosby, lead author of the study. [1]
Depression and Bedtimes in Teens
A team of researchers from Columbia University Medical Center led by James Gangwisch studied 15,659 teenagers and sleeping patterns. The study concluded that when parents allowed teens to stay up after midnight and get only 7 to 7 ½ hours of sleep, those teens were at a much higher risk of having depression. Previous studies confirm a link between not getting enough sleep and feeling depressed or even suicidal. [2]
The National Institutes of Health study states that teens that are not in bed by midnight are 42% more likely to be depressed than teens that are in bed by 10:00 p.m. So, how much sleep do teens need to get? Nine hours is best for teenagers. Unfortunately, the average teen sleeps about 7 ½ hours.
The National Institute of Health urges parents to have children in bed by 10:00. Parents should also monitor children if on instant messaging or cell phones. Being sent to the bedroom is not the same as going to sleep.
A Norwegian survey (1984-1986 and 1995-1997) of 25,000 people finds that individuals that had trouble sleeping were more likely to be suffering from depression or anxiety disorder. The study did not conclude that a lack of sleep could produce depression. There was evidence that that people who had insomnia were more likely to have depression and anxieties. [3]
Sleep and Risk of Cardiac Problems
A British Study release in 2007 states that not getting enough sleep can even be deadly. The study stated that people who slept five to seven hours a night or less had a 1.7 –fold increased risk in mortality and more than double cardiovascular risk of death. For Britain, this would be an estimated one-third of the population.
Sleep is important for both body and mind. Not sleeping enough takes its toll on health.
[1] "Daytime Nap Has Benefits Beyond Rest for Kids," Yahoo! News, June 8, 2009.
[2] Greg Toppo, "Study links teen depression to bedtimes," USA Today, June 9, 2009
[3] "Can’t sleep? May be sign of other problems," msnbc.msn.com, July 9, 2007.
 |
 |
