Kids Who Sleep Better, Do Better.

They might be sporty. Or academic. Or both. They may simply be just another, happy youngster with a bright future ahead. It is one of the most remarkable, rewarding life experiences to see your child grow into a young adult. Every innate quality begins to show itself as your kid comes into their own. And whatever that happens to be, you can only wish that they find their very best selves along the way.

This is about dreams coming true, day by day. And there is nothing closer to reaching that dream than deep, quality sleep, every night. Let’s delve into the critical ‘activity’ that takes place when kids sleep.

How much sleep does a child need?

As infants become toddlers, grow into grade school youngsters and then into high school teenagers, they gradually need a little less sleep each year, although you may be surprised at just how much they still need. Through grade school, children expend considerable amounts of energy during playtime. Kids aged 6-13 typically need 9-11 hours to recover every night. The hormonal years usually come during high school as kids mature into young adulthood. Teenagers aged 14-17 usually require 8-10 hours of sleep each night.

Importantly, you may find that your teenager begins to sleep later, which can make morning wake-up times a little sluggish. This is completely normal and is in part a result of your teen’s circadian rhythms (body clock) shifting slightly later, so that they actually do better with later bedtimes and wake-up times.

Minimising light in the hour before bed and getting lots of light early in the morning can help with aligning their preferred sleep-wake patterns to what is required with their school schedule. What also changes in these teen years relates to something we call “sleep pressure” – that heavy feeling we get at night when we are tired that prompts us to go to sleep. For some reason, this pressure is much less in adolescents, meaning that they get a much weaker signal from their body to down tools and get to bed.

If your young scholar needs to be up at a certain hour every weekday morning, work backwards towards an ideal bedtime that will ensure they get the right amount of sleep. For teens – don’t be afraid to let them sleep in until the last possible minute in the mornings – literally every minute of sleep counts.

What is critical to understand about a child’s restorative rest, however, is getting the right type of deep, quality sleep. Sleep scientist, Dr Dale Rae, explains:

“Sleep moves and cycles through different stages of non-rapid eye movement (Non-REM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Non-REM stages start by dozing off into light sleep where we can be easily woken. We then sink progressively into deeper stages of sleep, including what we call “slow wave” sleep. The heartbeat and breathing slows and the body is fully relaxed. This is when we think tissue repair, growth and cell regeneration take place. The immune system is also strengthened during these deeper stages.”

“REM sleep is accompanied by increased heart rate, breathing rate and brain activity. This is when we dream the most. Research indicates that REM sleep is a key component of our emotional recovery, leaving us more centred, less anxious and more resilient. Depending on how many hours of sleep are needed each night, we will typically repeat through the various levels of Non-REM and REM sleep at least 4-6 times.”

To understand the importance of the quality of sleep your child gets, let’s break down the effects and benefits of sleep on physical performance, academic achievement and emotional development.

Sleep and physical performance.

The benefits of training and improved physical performance are mostly realised during sleep. After physical exertion, the body repairs, recovers and strengthens. During sleep, our bodies secrete a growth hormone, which is key not only to growth, but also helps our bodies adapt to training. Relaxation of the heart and a decrease in heart rate during sleep helps to promote good cardiovascular health by allowing rest and recovery of the cardiovascular system. The immune system is highly active during sleep, responding to threats of infection, making sure that damaged cells are repaired and mutated cells are destroyed.

Learning new athletic skills and strategies are also processed at night. On one hand, the nervous system beds down newly learned skills – such as dribbling a soccer ball or performing a complex dance routine – so that the next time the skill is performed it becomes more polished, co-ordinated, and even automated. The brain also processes and stores new information, like the rules to a game, or a new play book for example, for quick recall in the future. Sleep enables physical performance to be sharper in terms of concentration and accuracy, as well as helping to sustain stamina and reducing the risk of injury.

Sleep and academic achievement.

Not every kid is a brainbox. Regardless of whether your child excels academically, you do want to encourage their best. Getting good quality, and the right amount, of sleep each night is a good start. Here’s why.

Our brains are complex organs that work in mind boggling ways. With over 100 billion neurons the brain is something like an entire universe inside your head. Among their many functions, neurons act as the ‘archival department’ of the brain. During sleep we enhance newly formed connections, or synapses, between our neurons. Essentially, new ideas, thoughts and information are consolidated, processed and, if necessary, stored for future access, which is a key component of learning and cognition. While we sleep, the brain is at work sorting out the ‘data’ we’ve collected during the daytime, enhancing our memory and improving our thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills.

It is especially important that your child gets proper, quality sleep during exam time. Studying for exams should be well-planned. As we’ve seen, committing lots of information to memory is best served by consolidating it through sleep. It is far better to swat through chapters of information over a longer lead time, than cram as much as possible just days before an exam. Deep, restorative sleep means we have a better chance of remembering what we learnt when we wake up in the morning. It’s also time to ditch the all-nighter, which rarely serves anyone well in an exam.

Sleep and emotional development.

The development of character and personality is just as crucial as physical agility and mental acuity in early growth years. Prolonged tiredness can easily develop into behavioural problems such as irrational outbursts, withdrawal or the appearance of traits that are simply out of character.

Kids at all stages of development can, at some time, experience mental challenges, anxiety, or insecurity. These are natural occurrences and can usually be written down to experience and learning. Persistent disorderly behaviour, however, may need closer scrutiny. And one of the first things to consider is the quality of your child’s sleep, since sleep plays a critical role in mental health and emotional regulation. Consider whether your child is getting the right amount of sleep, and whether that sleep is satisfying and restorative.

A well slept young head is more likely to be emotionally composed in times of crisis, concern or disappointment. Sleep deprivation can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and other mood-related disorders.

Have your child sleep-assessed.

Are you concerned about the quality of your child’s sleep? Perhaps there are behavioural signs that suggest disrupted or disordered sleep. Consult with a sleep scientist at www.sleepscience.co.za. An experienced specialist can help you work through the possible symptoms and causes. A professional, objective assessment may also make it easier for your child to acknowledge any sleep-related issues and take corrective measures.

Rising stars start at Dial•a•Bed.

Money might not buy love, but it can certainly invest in a good night's sleep, no matter your budget. As you watch your kids grow into themselves and experience the great roller coaster that often comes with it, you can at least ensure that they get to sleep their way to their hopes and dreams. Dial•a•Bed will help you find just the right comfort and support in a mattress that makes every next day bigger, better and brighter.

Explore South Africa’s leading mattress brands at www.dialabed.co.za. Then pop into your nearest store and take a Sleep Station test. No preparation required. #SleepForLife.

TAKE CARE: Lifestyle recommendation is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional should you be experiencing prolonged sleep difficulties or related health issues.