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“Mom, let’s go,” urged an
eleven-year-old son as his Mom talked with me after an evening
meeting. “I’m tired, I need to go to bed,” continued the
pre-teen. I looked at my watch and noted it was 8:30pm. I said to
his Mom, “We can talk later. You need to get him home and be
pleased that you have a child wanting to go to bed. Most of
us aren’t so lucky.”
Getting children to go to bed and
then getting them up in the morning are two of the biggest
challenges for parents. I get questions all the time about sleep
issues. And, with back to school time here, the amount of sleep
your children get becomes even more important.
Back to school time means getting
back into a routine and for some families that means getting back
into a bedtime routine. I applaud you if you have a nightly routine
and get your children to sleep at an appropriate time. On average,
children get less sleep than sleep experts recommend. Check this
out:
- Infants from
3-11 months need between 14-15 hours; this includes naps; on
average they get 12 hours.
- Toddlers from
ages 1-3 need 12-14 hours of sleep on average; this includes
naps; on average they get 11.
- Preschoolers,
ages 3-5 need between 11-13 hours; the average child gets about
10.4 hours.
- School-aged children
(1st through 5th grades) need 10-11 hours but usually are lucky
to get 9.5 hours.
- Teens need
between 8.5-9.5 hours but usually only get 6-8.
- Adults need
7-9 hours of sleep but often only get 5-7hours.
Every person is unique and so are
your sleep needs. But the previous information can help you
calculate when your child should be going to bed and getting up.
Calculate your sleep needs too.
Why is sleep so important? The old
saying, “Guess you got up on the wrong side of the bed” indicates
someone is in a bad mood. And, in jest, we may be making light of
the fact that you just didn’t get enough sleep. Research shows that
lack of sleep affects mood and behavior. Sleep is a time for your
body to revitalize, both physically and mentally. Our muscles and
cells need to rejuvenate at rest. And, our brain and memory are
working hard through the sleeping hours, storing and processing
information. When you and your children don’t get enough sleep,
your bodies and mind know it.
As a parent, one of your important
jobs is to make sure your children go to bed at an appropriate time
to be refreshed and ready to go to school or play. Develop a night
time routine such as brush teeth, read a book, prayer and lights
out. Be wary of the many distractions your children will try as you
put them to bed!
Just remember, the sooner you get
them to bed, the longer you have to get something done yourself.
Or, the sooner you can go to bed! Good luck and good night. |
