Your little angel is asleep? There’s no denying that there’s a correlation between children’s behavior and the lack of sleep. Being groggy and all can affect a kid’s attitude and mental health. That’s why it’s imperative to let children sleep at specified time and intervals. Lack of sleep is bad enough for adults. But for children, it could be worse.
From tantrums and meltdowns to physical and mental health, the lack of sleep can send your little angel to a whirlwind of problems.
Why do children not want to go to bed?
Do you wonder why what keeps them awake at night? Here are some reasons why your kid has not been getting any shuteye.
- They are overtired. There’s a difference between being tired and super tired and unlike adults, when children are overtired, they throw tantrums and meltdowns rather than falling asleep.
- Your child has a vivid imagination. Perhaps your kid wants to play, or think about what to do next instead of getting some shuteye. An overactive imagination can increase brain activity and keep him awake at night!
- Don’t wanna miss a thing. Aerosmith might have a clue on this one because children do not want to miss a thing or any activity going on when he’s asleep!
- Full dinner or snacks will keep him awake in the middle of the night. How is that possible? After eating a huge meal, your child will likely fall asleep as soon as he can. But will soon wake up and ask for some midnight snacks!
- A troubled kid will likely stay up all night. Is this his first time sleeping alone? Does he want to sleep by your side? Will the shadows haunt him while he sleeps? Did he co-sleep with his mom before?
No matter the reason, you have to console your child to his slumber so that he can set his body clock to the right time to grow healthy and strong.
Ten ways the lack of sleep can hurt your child
Sleep deprivation can hurt your child. Every function and organ of his or her body are affected because of sleep. Difficulty catching zzz’s always can lead to bigger problems.
Poor school performance or learning ability
When the mind is in a haze, it’s difficult for children to learn new knowledge or skills. Your kid will lag behind his learning ability and will be overwhelmed with too much information. The result can turn to tantrums and meltdowns which will affect his attitude development.
Child obesity
Destroying your kid’s body clock will slow down his metabolism and the way his body burns fat. Therefore, your child will grow big. It can also put them at risk for heart disease or diabetes. It slows down a couple of hormones that regulates the body system too.
Impede growth development
Growth hormones are released in the body during a sleep period. Lack of sleep would hamper your child’s development which results in stunted growth.
Lowers immunity
Sleep makes children strong because of interleukin-1 released during sleep periods. Interleukin-1 boosts the immune system, which protects them from germs and bacteria.
Brings negative behaviors
Sleep deprived kids tend to be more impulsive and irritable. This attitude will stick around if they don’t get enough rest.
Developed mental orders
Insomnia in children may lead to anxiety and depression. It will increase the stress hormone to rise and would later bring an impact on how kids face certain situations.
Fatigue
Your child will be feeling a lot more sluggish than usual and would want to lie down or sit still. Even by doing that, he or she will feel tired, despite not doing any activity at all.
Clumsiness
A sleepy child will be prone to accidents more than kids who are well rested. Mainly because they have difficulty in concentrating, therefore, it leads them to be prone to accidents.
Taking long naps
Excessive periods of sleep does not mean your child is getting enough sleep! Long naps are a symptom of being overtired and sleep deprivation.
Sudden death
It may be hard to believe, but extreme sleep deprivation can lead to sudden death – and that’s including infants, toddlers, or in general, children.
How to encourage your child to sleep?
Finding it too difficult to have your kid sleep at night? Try these tips which may help your child sleep better:
- Don’t make your child too overtired. If you see his “sleep window,” be it in a yawn, stretch, or droopy eyes, time to take him to bed.
- Know the pattern of “sleep, eat, play” then sleep again. If your child is still young, you can put him in a baby jumper. That way, when he wants to play, he can bounce as much as he wants until he falls asleep.
- Massage your child until he gets sleepy! You can use lavender or chamomile oils to rub him until he falls asleep.
- Co-sleep with your child if he’s not ready to sleep on his own yet.
The number of hours your baby needs each day can vary by age. Newborn babies mostly sleep all day, while toddlers can get away with sleeping 11 to 14 hours and as they grow up they need less sleep. Talk to your doctor if you have questions or if something worries you about your child’s sleeping patterns.
