Today’s Blog on How much sleep do kids need?by Guiding Guru………..Mrs Sapna Arora, TGT Science

 How much sleep do kids need?

 

 

“Sleep” – the word itself seems so relaxing, isn’t ? Well, that’s because it indeed relaxes our body and refreshes our mind. Life of a student is not that easy as it seems to be especially when the world around them is so competitive. Everyday a kid requires  immense amount of energy in order to perform the daily tasks. They are riddled with assignments, examinations, tuitions, sports, Homework, extra classes and what not! It feels like the day is not enough for them to complete the tasks and above all the  exhaustion which continuously ask them to rest is difficult to cope with. What’s the solution? It might shock you that the answer to tackle all these  little problems is a good sleep. No wonder the kids sacrifice their sleep in order to perform better and complete the tasks given to them but ultimately there is no success because what they are sacrificing is the only secret to their success. A minimum of 8 to 10 hours of  undisturbed sleep is very important for the kids as it is the only time when the mind gets to rest and relax while allowing the body to repair itself. Without sleep the mind and body  will not function well and thus one will feel lethargic throughout the day which will ultimately affect their performance in academics as well as in other activities. Sleep deprivation is a serious threat to kid’s health as it causes drowsiness and cognitive impairment in the same level as drinking alcohol does. It  also leads to irritability, mood swings, brain fog, concentration issue and a lot more things.

 

 

Now let’s understand the positive affects of an 8-10 hour sleep. It has been seen statistically that the students who get good amount of sleep regularly perform well academically. They feel more productive, have good amount of energy and there is no drowsiness at all. It has also been recorded that they grasp the concept way better than sleep deprived students. Have you ever noticed that sometimes a child feels cranky and doesn’t want to go to school? Of course you must have, the movies also show how kids just never wake up on time and the mothers are running after them to send them on time. It is always shown in this way because it is true. Somehow in our society nobody teaches the value of sleep. People are  very careless and they mindlessly keep scrolling their mobile without even thinking about the ill effects it may cause on their body. 

 

Coming to sleeping hours. Every age group demands different duration as per their needs. The age group of 4 to 6 years need a minimum of 10 to 12 hours of sleep including naps. The age group of 7 to 13 needs 8- 10 hours of sleep and teenagers must sleep for Atleast 8 hours if not more as we all are aware of adolescence and its grumpy nature. Here  mood swings are bound to happen. It has been seen that most teenagers get about 6 to 7 hours of sleep on an average thus their body clock make them feel tired by the time it is evening. When puberty hits there is a shift in hormones and they start working on the body which leads to changes in the body and if kid doesn’t sleep enough every night then it may trigger other issues like – pcod, migraine, insomnia due to stress, obesity etc. This age is very image conscious and if they are sleep deprived there is a  high chance that they may inculcate risk – taking behaviour and can also get into depression. Therefore it is necessary to take sleeping pattern seriously and adhere to the issues if any.

 

 

Here are some advice for all age groups to sleep better

 

 

· Set a positive bedtime routine for them at an early age so that it becomes a ritual

· Make sure the child takes a nap after school for a proper development and growth

· Be firm if the child doesn’t want to go to bed 

· A nightmare could disturb their sleep. A good cuddle and kiss will help them

· Avoid watching tv before bedtime 

· Pro tip- A goodnight story ritual or book reading can help a lot

· Allow your child to sleep in on weekends 

· Avoid early morning appointments and classes if possible 

· Never encourage late night Sundays

· Avoid stimulants in the evening like tea, coffee and energy drinks

· A yoga session in the evening might help the kids to relax their body.

· Set up a regular schedule to follow

· A good bath before bedtime is a great way to Induce sleep especially during summers

· Never use any gadgets at-least an hour before the sleep time

· Dim the lights and play some peaceful songs so that the body gets a positive signal and releases the target hormone

· Avoid eating heavy dinner as it may cause difficulty in sleeping

· Be active throughout the day. 

· Have fixed sleeping schedule

· Ensure your bedroom is cool and dark.

· Do not entertain hectic schedule of kids ( manage timings or shift classes if required)

· Try to sleep together as a family ( this will allow chid to feel secure)

· Maintain a regular sleep and wake up time even in summer vacations 

· Teach  your kids the value of sleep 

 

 

India has been famous for Ayurveda and its practices. Since ancient time our gurus have always preached about early dinner and sleeping on time but modern period is fully influenced by western culture and thus late night bedtime schedule has become very common. Today parents are also using smartphones heedlessly being unaware that their kids pick up the habits from them only. Sleep should be made a priority because when a healthy body is a key to everything. Once you start ignoring your health nothing will work in your favour. 

So start from today onwards if you are not taking sleep as a necessary element of your daily schedule and feel the positive changes it will bring.

You kid will learn better and his performance will be on top