|
 One in four parents thought children need less sleep than is
recommended, while one in five thought children need more sleep than
what experts advise.
Many parents also reported that TV watching, playing, and late
dinners interrupted their kids’ regular bedtimes.
“Children who have insufficient sleep are more likely to have
difficulties with their attention, mood, learning, health, and
behavior at home and at school,” said lead author Philippa McDowall
of the University of Otago in New Zealand.
“Parents need to know how important it is for children to have
sufficient sleep, and that (they) can support this by ensuring their
child has a healthy and consistent sleep routine,” McDowall added by
email.
When children are having sleep problems, educating parents is often
the first step for treatment, the researchers write in Sleep
Medicine.
They say mothers often have less knowledge about sleep than other
areas of child development.
McDowall and her team surveyed 115 caregivers – mostly the mothers -
of children ages 2 to 12 years who were patients at Wellington
Children’s Hospital.
The surveys asked general questions about child sleep as well as how
many hours of sleep were needed for different age groups and how
often barriers to children’s sleep came up in their home, including
late dinners and TV watching.
On average, parents answered half of the sleep knowledge questions
correctly.
Twenty-six percent of parents thought children need less sleep than
they do, and 19 percent thought children needed more sleep than is
recommended for their age group.
Parents with lower education levels and lower income had poorer
knowledge of child sleep.
Parents of younger children were more likely to give correct answers
about how much sleep their children need and to report fewer
barriers to bedtimes.
People who overestimated or underestimated kids’ need for sleep were
also more likely to report barriers to getting their children to bed
on time.
Studies of parents and children in North America have found similar
patterns, the researchers say.
[to top of second column] |
Dr. Judith Owens, director of Sleep Medicine at Boston Children's
Hospital, noted that children can suffer health problems if parents
don’t have a good understanding of sleep problems.
“For example, if a parent does not recognize snoring as a potential
symptom of sleep apnea, they are unlikely to seek appropriate
medical attention,” said Owens, who was not involved in the study.
Owens also emphasized the importance of eliminating sleep barriers.
“Use of electronic media (especially screens) prior to bed is one of
the biggest culprits,” she said in an email.
Using screens before bed stimulates the child’s brain and can reduce
melatonin, a hormone that is important for sleep regulation, Owens
noted.
Other bedtime barriers included visits from family or friends, child
sickness, late dinners, and children reading or playing, McDowall
said.
Parents should make regular bedtime a priority, McDowall said, as
this is an effective way to encourage healthy sleep habits.
According to Owens, sleep issues should be treated like any other
health concern. “Parents need to promote healthy sleep habits, just
as they do with nutrition and exercise,” she said.
McDowall said parents who are concerned about their child’s sleep
should talk to their pediatrician. “Small changes to the sleep
environment or sleep routine can lead to big improvements in
children’s sleep that lead to improved mood and health,” she
advised.
SOURCE: bit.ly/1QS7LA1 Sleep Medicine, online February 17, 2016.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
