The importance of sleep in childhood
Written by:Sleeping well is essential, especially during childhood. Children should sleep adequate time since the growth of the nervous system depends to a large extent on the number of hours of sleep. During the first hour of sleep, the body produces 60 percent total secretion of growth hormone. For this reason it is clear that the dream has a fundamental role in all areas of child development, and influences growth, behavior and school performance.
Unfortunately, currently 60 percent of Spanish children do not sleep for the 10 hours considered necessary. Of them, 30 percent suffer from symptoms of drowsiness during the day. It should also be noted that since 1985 the bedtime of children has been increasingly delayed, approximately in about 30 minutes, and 66 percent of children between 10 and 15 years old decide themselves to go to bed. sleep. Exposure to television at night is very common. This is a negative stimulus because it makes the child stay longer in wakefulness.
Consequences of lack of sleep in children
Sleeping badly during childhood is especially serious. By sleeping less hours the child will be more distracted and tired during the day, and with it their learning and attention span will be seriously damaged. Fatigue also increases irritability , with which your social relationships will be affected.
In addition, lack of sleep at this age predisposes to sleep disorders in adulthood. Sleep disturbances are frequent in childhood and, unlike those that occur in adulthood, also affect the quality of life of the entire family environment. To combat the problem it is very important that children establish routines that promote sleep.