How losing just one hour of sleep can harm your kids

Sleep is essential for all people, especially children who are still in their developmental stage.

If your children compromise on even one hour of sleep, it can be detrimental for their physical as well as mental health.

Here is why your child should get adequate amount of sleep every single night.

A new study published in JAMA Network Open has found that getting less sleep compromised children’s well-being, they did not cope as well at school, and had reduced quality of life. While there are several studies around children with sleep disorders, the researchers in this study analyzed what would happen if healthy children compromised on their sleep.

The children involved were part of another study named DREAM (Daily Rest, Eating, and Activity Monitoring) study. “In this study, the children underwent alternating weeks of restricted sleep and extended sleep. There was a one-week period in between. Altogether, 100 healthy kids with no sleep problems between the ages of 8 and 12 took part in the 2022 study,” noted Healthline.

The children’s bedtimes were altered to be either one hour later than usual (sleep restriction) or one hour earlier (sleep extension). In both cases, the kids woke up at their normal times. The researchers asked both parents and children to assess the children’s health-related quality of life using various questionnaires.

The findings of the study revealed that sleep loss, even for as little as a week and as little as one hour, can decrease a child’s quality of life. There were significant negative impacts on the children’s physical well-being as well as their ability to cope with the school environment.

Many parents think it is ok if their child goes to bed one hour late, maybe they are busy with school work or watching a movie or anything else. However, children’s sleep should be taken seriously and they should adhere to a fixed bedtime.

The right or wrong quality of sleep can impact all other aspects of your child’s life – how much food they are eating; are they able to energetically run and play; whether they are attentive during class or have enough social battery.

It is important for your child to get enough sleep every night, based on their age. They should have a fixed time to go to bed and wake up. One of the most important things for good sleep hygiene these days is to disconnect from all screens and devices. Exposure to blue light from screens at night can disrupt the child’s sleep as it can send a signal to the brain that it’s time to be awake.