Essay On Importance Of Sleep

1761 Words4 Pages

Hannah Love
Ms. Joyce Bloomingburg
Child Development
11 March 2015
The Importance of Sleep for a Child Sleep is a demand that every human needs to be able to make it through day-to-day life. As we get older our schedules become more hectic and we tend to leave less and less time for sleep. While adults may be able to function with less sleep, what about children? Children need significantly more sleep for reasons more than being able to get through the day. Sleep plays a major role in a child’s brain development and physical growth. The best way to ensure children get the proper amounts of sleep can be as simple as establishing a consistent bedtime and bedtime routine (“The Connection Between Sleep and Growth”). Making sure a child …show more content…

Hormones that regulate appetite and hunger can be affected causing a child to have a preference for high calorie foods, which causes overeating. Sleep shortage can also affect how the child’s body metabolizes foods, triggering resistance to insulin, which is linked to type two diabetes (“The Connection Between Sleep and Growth”). More obvious ways that lack of sleep can affect a child is their ability to carry out daily functions. Less sleep makes it harder for a child to concentrate on simple tasks; they may become more forgetful, irritable and clumsy (“Sleep Matters”). Overall, lack of sleep effects more than a child’s night; it disrupts his or her days too (Breus).
Children with minor sleep deprivation may show signs of fatigue. A child’s natural response to fatigue is to “fight it” in order to stay awake and not miss out on any of the action that everyone else is participating in. Then they will become irritable, cranky, and fussy. While the child may be wide-awake, he/she will not be able to keep their attention or learn well. Overtired children often times appear to be wide-awake and hyperactive. When someone finally tries to put a child down to sleep they may find it hard to get the child to fall asleep …show more content…

A child should avoid drinking or eating anything with high levels of caffeine right before bed (“Children and Sleep”). Stimulating activity should also be avoided for a period of time before the child lies down to sleep. The slower the child’s heart rate is when they lay down to go to sleep, the easier and faster it will be for them to fall asleep and get a good nights sleep (“The Connection between Sleep and Growth”). Another thing that could help a child sleep better at night is making sure the room they sleep in is dark and quiet. It may also be a good idea to make sure a child does not have a computer or TV in their room. Either of those could work as a distraction for the child. Eliminating any and all things that could result in keeping the child up when they should be sleeping could help them get more sleep in the end (“The Connection between Sleep and Growth”). In conclusion, children need adequate sleep for more reasons than just so they can make it through the day. Lack of sleep for a child can effect brain development, stunt growth, and cause problems in hormone circulation. Parents should take extra precautionary measures to make sure their child gets the right amount of healthy sleep for their particular age category. Doing so can make a lot of difference in their behavior and

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