“We know that the effects of sleep deprivation are various, including poor performance on tests and activities to behavioral problems,” says Michael Breus, PhD, a psychologist and sleep disorder specialist. Other potentially more serious problems include suppressed immune systems, impaired short-term memory and weight gain. Even more, the issue is becoming almost commonplace in schools: According to a recent study by Boston College, 80% of 13- and 14-year-olds in the U.S. are sleep deprived.
Younger kids should get 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night, while teens need 9 to 10 hours. But how do you make sure your child starts off the year with a solid sleep routine? Dr. Breus recommends waking your child up at the same time they will get up for school every day for a week before, while also slowly moving the bedtime earlier. “They are going to be a disaster,” he says. “They’re going to be cranky; they’re not going to want to get out of bed; they’re going to argue. But they have to understand that their bodies have to get ready for school.”
If kids have a hard time falling asleep, Kim West, a licensed family therapist, suggests using ambient sound to help them snooze. “In utero, we grew with constant white noise,” she says. “You need to create a sleep-inducing environment that is cool, dark and has white noise if, for example, you live in a loud area with barking dogs and garbage trucks at 3 A.M.” A member of the cloud b advisory board, she recommends a multi-sensory product like the Tranquil Turtle ($47.95; CloudB.com) that plays soft melodies and glows like a nightlight.
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