Sleep is crucial for children. And getting enough quality sleep can actually help your child’s cognitive abilities as they develop! But that means the flip side is also true–poor quality sleep, or too little sleep–or a combination of both–can have big effects on your child’s cognitive development.
Why Quality Sleep is So Important for Cognitive Function in Kids
Why Quality Sleep is So Important for Cognitive Function in Kids
Whole Child Neuro
How much sleep does your child get?
Sleep is crucial for children. And getting enough quality sleep can actually help your child’s cognitive abilities as they develop! But that means the flip side is also true–poor quality sleep, or too little sleep–or a combination of both–can have big effects on your child’s cognitive development.
Whether or not your child gets enough sleep doesn’t just lead to temper tantrums when they’re feeling over tired–but it can actually hold them back when they’re trying to learn, and endanger their overall well being. While there are still a lot of questions in the world of brain development, one thing we do know is that sleep plays a major role in cognitive development, memory, mood, and academic performance, especially in children.
The National Sleep Institute recommends:
12–17 hours of sleep for newborns and infants
11–14 hours of sleep for ages 1–2
10–13 hours of sleep for ages 3–5
9–11 hours of sleep for ages 6–13
8–10 hours of sleep for ages 14–17
7–9 hours of sleep for adults
How does poor sleep impact your child?
There are many ways poor sleep can affect your child, depending on how chronic the issue is, or if it’s something your child is struggling with temporarily. While all sleep issues will have short term effects, long term impacts will depend on how severe and/or chronic the issues are.
Some effects of lack of sleep can include :
Excessive drowsiness/fatigue
Poor attention span
Poor emotional regulation
Impaired judgment/poor decision making
Impaired memory
How does quality sleep benefit your child?
There are many benefits to making sure your child gets enough quality sleep regularly including:
Improved concentration/attention span: without proper sleep, the brain is less able to filter out distractions. Quality sleep allows the brain to be focused & engaged for extended periods of time, without increased susceptibility to distractions.
Improved problem solving and creative thinking: quality sleep allows children to explore their creative thinking and problem solving skills without feeling overwhelmed or over tired, which can lead to poor decision making, not being able to regulate emotions, etc.
Improved motor skills: with quality sleep, children are alert enough to practice both their fine and gross motor skills, while children with insufficient sleep or sleep quality may be too tired to fully engage their motor skills.
How can you help your child improve their sleep quality?
Consider your child’s current sleep environment and habits:
When does your child usually go to bed? Do they keep toys in bed? Are there flashing lights in their room? If they wake up frequently, what is the cause? Do they need to go to the bathroom multiple times throughout the night? Are they waking up because of noises or lights? Is the temperature uncomfortable in their room? If you can start to identify obstacles to your child’s sleep quality, you can start to address them directly.
Help them establish a wind down routine:
Many parents are so tired at the end of the day, that sometimes kids just wind up in front of TV or games until bed. This is totally normal and understandable–there are so many demands on parents’ time and energy, it can be hard to find enough time and energy to get everything done in a day!
But if you can help your child establish a wind down routine and ease them into bed with a regular routine, sleep may begin to come easier for them. You can set a time to turn screens off at night, end the day with bath time and a story. Have them pick out a soft toy to take to bed before reading to them. Any routine that helps them slow down! Then their brain will start to recognize the getting-ready-for-sleep patterns, and will naturally lead them to sleepiness the more you practice the routine with them.
Consider what they’re eating:
Is your child waking up due to hunger in the night? Some kids will let you know exactly when they’re hungry throughout the day, and others might not notice what their body is trying to tell them. If your child isn’t getting enough to eat throughout the day, they may be waking up partway through sleeping because they’re hungry. Consider having a before bed snack to prevent hunger from waking them up.
Does your child struggle with sleep? We can help.
Here at Whole Child Neuro, we strive to help children unlock their full potential. We provide neuropsychological evaluations, counseling, parenting support, social skills groups, educational therapy, and school placement services. We work with people throughout the Greater Los Angeles area, including our neighbors in Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, and Beverly Hills. Please, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a free consultation, and feel free to read more about our neuropsychological evaluations, counseling, educational therapy, and school placement services.