DETROIT – Because there’s a big difference between sleep schedules during the summer compared to the school year -- the start of school usually means children, including teens, need to adjust to new sleep routines.
Hopefully, by now, parents have begun the gradual shift toward earlier bedtimes because poor sleep can be harmful to children.
During sleep, hormones are released that do everything from promoting growth to adjusting your appetite, body weight and even strengthening your immunity to infection. These effects aren’t invisible as what we see when kids don’t get enough sleep are changes in mental health and behavior -- and it can look different than it does in adults.
“Not getting enough sleep can have some pretty dramatic effects on children and teens across all aspects of their life,” said Dr. Dawn Dore-Stites, a pediatric psychologist at C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital. “So, for a younger child not getting enough sleep, what they will often look like in school is not paying attention, being disruptive, impulsive, running around, because younger kids when they’re tired, we call them wired. They’re just bouncing off the walls. They’re not necessarily going to fall asleep in class like you might see for an adult.”
Teenagers are more like adults though. They will fall asleep in class, which isn’t good for education, but that’s not the only impact.
“For teens, we also worry about the impact of lack of sleep on their mental health, as we know that lack of sleep can really lead to an increase in depression and anxiety,” Dore-Stites said.
Dore-Stites said parents should consider their daytime schedule.
“Are they getting enough physical activity? Enough light exposure to help set the stage for good sleep at night?” Dore-Stites said.
She recommends parents pay attention to their child’s behavior to get a read on whether they’re getting enough sleep. It doesn’t look the same in all kids -- if they’re moody, or even hyperactive that could be from a lack of sleep -- although it can be hard to tell since that’s just the way kids can be sometimes.