EVERY living creature needs sleep, and it is not only important for our health and well-being, but also crucial for a child’s development.

Lack of sleep can cause a child to become hyperactive and disagreeable. Further, children who drink caffeine, whether in coffee or caffeinated beverages, sleep less than those who don’t. Consequently, parents should be educated about the necessity of adequate sleep for their children, just as much as they receive information about other health factors such as adequate nutrition.

IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE SLEEP

Adequate sleep is important for maintaining a healthy body, improving the immune system, allowing the brain and tissues of the body to recover, and improving energy levels, learning and concentration. On the other hand, inadequate sleep can have negative effects on behaviour, emotions, attention, social relationships, and performance in school. We should note, however, that the amount of sleep a child needs will vary depending on the individual and factors such as the age of the child. Research has shown that teenagers need about nine hours’ sleep each night to function at their best, and younger children need more.

Children between the ages of six and 13 years old usually need around nine to 11 hours of sleep, despite an increasing demand on their time from homework, sports and other extracurricular and social activities. Unfortunately, it is during this time of development that they also become more interested in television, computers, the Internet, social media, as well as caffeine-containing products. All these things can lead to difficulty falling asleep, nightmares and disruption of their sleep and sleep pattern. Further, watching TV close to bedtime has also been associated with bedtime resistance, difficulty falling asleep, anxiety around sleep, and sleeping fewer hours.

SMALL-SCREEN DEVICES

A recent study of more than 15,000 students in the USA found that those who went to bed after midnight had a 24 per cent higher risk of anxiety and depression, compared to those who went to bed before 10:00 pm. The study also found that teenagers who slept for five hours or fewer each night were 71 per cent more likely to suffer depression.

Whilst it is known that the presence of a television set in a child’s bedroom can have harmful effects on the length of sleep and its quality, a study that assessed over 2,000 fourth and seventh grade children in public schools in Massachusetts, USA, found similarly harmful effects from smaller screens such as those on hand-held devices like smartphones and tablets. These devices may carry alarms from incoming e-mails and text messages, which may cause even further sleep disruption.

The research found that children who slept near a small screen experienced less sleep each night than those who did not, and that the decreased sleep time was mainly accounted for by a delay of bedtime, that is, by them going to bed later. TV or DVD viewing, and playing video or computer games also had a similar effect.

The researchers concluded that sleeping in proximity to a small screen, having a television set in the bedroom, or having a longer duration of screen time (the time spent by the child interacting with a screen) were all associated with shorter sleep durations. Further, the presence of a small screen and longer screen time were also associated with students’ perception of them having insufficient sleep.

SLEEP TIPS

Consequently, we should evaluate the sleep hygiene of children by paying attention to bedtime ‘small-screen’ use, particularly among teenagers. Children should be taught healthy sleeping habits, including the need for a regular and consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine. A child’s bedroom should be made conducive to sleep – keeping it dark, cool and quiet. Television and computers should be kept out of the bedroom or turned off at least one hour before bedtime, and no caffeinated beverages (energy drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate, or cola) should be drunk. We should allow around 40 minutes of ‘wind-down’ activities, such as getting clothes ready for the next day, making lunch or getting the school bag ready, taking a warm bath, having a drink of warm milk, writing in a journal, reading a book or magazine, or listening to quiet music, before going to bed.

We should all try to get good physical exercise during the day, to help facilitate a good restful sleep at night. A satisfying evening meal should be eaten early enough so that it can be adequately digested before bedtime (preferably at least three hours before going to bed). Finally, we should remember that encouragement is crucial in stimulating positive changes.

Dr Derrick Aarons MD, PhD is a consultant bioethicist/family physician, a specialist in ethical issues in medicine, the life sciences and research, and is the ethicist at the Caribbean Public Health Agency – CARPHA. (The views expressed here are not written on behalf of CARPHA)