Little Sleep Can Have Big Consequences for Kids and Teens

Horizons in Hemophilia, August 2012

By Cathy Hulbert, LCSW, Social Worker

Parents already know that sleep-deprived children and teens can be irritable. But the potential consequences are far greater, according to sleep researchers and other health specialists. A consistent lack of quality sleep can lead to a possible misdiagnosis of ADHD, according to one study. And a sixth-grader trying to function with just one hour of lost sleep time can regress to behaviors more in keeping with a fourth grader, according to one example given by other researchers. Poor sleep habits are also associated with diabetes and weight gain. The risk of depression in men and women appears linked to sleep deprivation as well. 

The positive side of these reports is that with improved sleep habits many of these problems can show improvement. For example, in the publication Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, there are signs that more sleep can translate into better grades. This study focuses on later start-times for some schools choosing to participate. It shows that with longer sleep periods there were “significant improvements in measures of adolescent alertness, mood, and health.” To read more go to this link.

According to surveys by the National Sleep Foundation, 90 percent of American parents think their child is getting enough sleep. The kids themselves say otherwise. In those same surveys, 60 percent of high school students report extreme daytime sleepiness. In another study, a quarter of the students polled admitted that their grades have dropped because of it. Over 25 percent fall asleep in class at least once a week, according to an article in New York Magazine.

Follow this link to see how much sleep your child or teen really needs: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.htm/

And please follow these links for more great information about sleep:  
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/attention-problems-may-be-sleep-related/ 
https://www.collegecures.com/2012/student-sleep-how-sleep-deprivation-affects-college-students-infographic/ 
https://nymag.com/news/features/38951/ 
https://www.cnn.com/2012/03/30/health/conditions/sleep-apnea-depression/index.html