Nowthatschoolhasstarted,manyparentsfindthemselvesstrugglingtoshifttheirkidsbacktoaworkingroutine.AstheyshaveofftimeforTVandtheInternettomakewayforschoolwork,parentsmaywanttoaddextraforthatotherbigcontributortosuccessatschool:sleep.Recentresearchonkidshasconnectedtheimportanceofsleepnotonlytocognition,buttobehaviorandmoodaswell.
SomeresearcherstheorizethattheREM,orrapideyemovement,phaseofsleepiswhenthebrainproducesandconsolidatesneuralnetworksformemoryandcognition.It'sakindof"formattingofthebrain,"saysRalphDowney,anexpertofsleepmedicineatLomaLindaUniversityandChildren'sHospitalinSouthernCaliforniaandaspokespersonfortheAmericanAcademyofSleepMedicine.Beforetheageof6,atypicalchildwillrequirebetween12and13hoursofsleeppernight,saysJudithOwens,associateprofessorofpediatricsatBrownUniversityandanotedexpertonchildhoodsleepdisorders.Atage6,10to11hoursareneeded.Whiletheamountofsleepnecessarydropsoncekidsreachadolescence,Owensnotes,"theystillneedatleastninehoursunderidealcircumstances."
Whatiftheycomeupshort?Asleep-deprivedchild'sreactionisoftendifferentfromthelowenergyandsleepinessexperiencedbyadults."Reducingtheamountofhoursachildsleepsmanifestsitselfinthechildbecomingwiredandhyperexcitable--exhibitingbehaviorsimilartochildrenwithattentiondeficitdisorder,"saysDavidGozal,directorofthepediatricsleepprogramattheUniversityofLouisvilleinKentucky.Kids'emotionsmaybecomeerratic,saysGozal,andtheymaybelessapttolistenorpayattention.ResearchersattheUniversityofMontrealreportthatastudyofyoungchildrenshowedthatthosewhosleptsignificantlyfewerhoursthantherecommended10weremorehyperactiveandimpulsivethanthosewhogotplentyofshuteyeandscoredlowerontwocognitiveskillstests.
"Ourresultsindicatethatamodestbutchronicreductionofjustonehourofsleepnightlyinearlychildhoodcanaffectthechild'scognitiveperformanceatschoolentry,"saysDominiquePetit,asleepresearcherandcoauthorofthestudy.Shethinksthere'sacriticalperiodinearlychildhoodwhenthelackofsleepisparticularlydetrimentaltodevelopment,evenifsleephabitsimprovelateron.
Butmoving"lightsout"earliercanbeabigchallenge.MarkGoetting,asleepmedicinespecialistandmedicaldirectoroftheSleepHealthCenterinPortage,Mich.,offerssomerecommendations:
Createpositiveassociationswithgoingtobed."Often,parentswillsaytoachild,'Youcanstayupaslongasyou'regood,'or,'Ifyoudon'tdowhatIsay,you'regoingtobed.'It'snothealthytoassociategoingtobedwithpunishment,"saysGoetting."Parentsandchildrenwillbegintoseebedtimeasapowerstruggle."And,ofcourse,bothwanttowin.
Establishawind-downperiodbeforebed.Aroutine(likereadingstories)canletachildknowthathe'sheadedtowardbedtimeandcanhelphimslowdown.
Constructabedroomenvironmentthatpromotessleep."Abedroomshouldnotbeaterriblystimulatingplace,"saysGoetting.Somovethetelevisions,brightlights,andtoys.
Whenthekidssleepbetter,parentsmaynoticeadifferenceintheirownqualityoflife,too."Parentsaredefinitelybetterrestedthemselves--theirmoodisbetter,theyfeelmorealert--andareableto