Is Your Child Sleeping Enough?

One question we find ourselves asking as parents is, “did you get enough sleep?” well how much is enough, or too much? The American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed recommendations published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine for infants to teens. What they found was that if children have an adequate amount of sleep, their attention improves, as well as their behavior, memory, and physical health. Conversely, if children do not have enough sleep, there is an increase of injuries, obesity, and depression and self-harm. Childhood Sleep Chart
The amount of sleep needed may surprise you, but the sleep patterns and needs change as they get older. Take a look at the recommendations and compare them to the amount of time that your child sleeps. If you determine that your child needs more sleep, perhaps remove items causing distractions from their room at night or their night time routine such as iPods, phones, and televisions.

 

If you are worried that your child is not getting enough sleep, give us a call, at West Coast Pediatrics we are always here to help.

 

Read the report here.