4 Questions to Determine if a Child is Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep need is highly individual. There are recommended ranges that most (but not all) children will fall into, but every child (and adult) has a different biological sleep need.
Here are four questions you can ask patients and parents to determine if a child is getting enough sleep.
#1 - Is it difficult to wake your child in the morning?
Many children will need a parent (or an alarm clock) to wake them in the morning, and it is normal when the child is able to get up and going within 10-15 minutes.
But if it is really difficult to wake a child in the morning, requiring multiple attempts by a parent, multiple alarms, or even a parent throwing water on the child, then it is likely the child is not getting enough good quality sleep.
#2 - Does your child sleep 2 or more extra hours on weekends on vacations?
Weekend oversleep (2+ hours longer than weekdays) is the body trying to make up for lost sleep during the week. Numbers count when it comes to sleep. If a child needs 10 hours of sleep per night, but only gets 8 hours of sleep per night on weekdays, by the end of the school week that child has lost a full night of sleep!
A little weekend oversleep is okay, but chronic sleep deprivation in kids has a significant impact on their health, performance, and well-being.
#3 - Does your child fall asleep in inappropriate places like school, birthday parties, short car rides, or sporting events?
Our bodies should only need to sleep during the day if we are not getting enough sleep at night (no matter how boring a class is!). You should be concerned when you hear that a child regularly falls asleep during school, fun activities, or during short car or bus rides (less than 15 minutes and not at bedtime or the normal naptime for younger children).
#4 - What do you notice about your child when they do not get enough sleep?
Parents quickly notice that a child becomes moody, irritable, hyper, or lethargic when they don’t get enough sleep. Alternatively, when a child gets more sleep than usual, some parents will comment that the child is “a completely different person.”
So how can you figure out a child’s individual sleep need?
The best way to tell how much sleep a child needs is to have a set bedtime every night for at least one week (two weeks is better), with no set wake time. This usually works best during the summer or a school holiday.
The first few nights will give the child a chance to catch up on any sleep debt, and by the end of the week, they should begin to wake around the same time every day. The amount of time from bedtime to wake time is their sleep need.
p.s. - This also works for adults!
Want to learn more about pediatric sleep for your clinical practice? Nyxeos offers provider consultation, live webinars, and an on demand course. Or set up a free consultation to see how we can provide services that meet your needs.