According to a recent article posted by TODAY Health, since the 1800s children have gotten less sleep than recommended. On average children are 37 minutes short of a good night’s sleep.
Insufficient amounts of sleep can lead to poor academic performance, increased risk of obesity, higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse and more frequent injuries. For decades children have gotten less sleep than what is recommended, and technology has been much to blame for that. In the early part of the century it was the light bulb, then the radio, then video games and social media of today robbing youth of their much needed shut eye.
Dr. Marc Weissbluth, author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, suggests watching your child and not the clock when it comes to bedtime. Observing your child’s behavior and looking for signs of tiredness will help when deciding to adjust naps or bedtimes. Near the end of the day if your child is short-fused, clingy or irritable, he suggests changing the sleep routine, but if the child is sweet, adaptable and well-functioning they are most likely on target for bed times.
To find out more information about sleep habits for children and suggestions to improve sleep habits, visit Dr. Weissbluth’s sleep blog.