Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Sleep is an essential component of overall health. Sleep helps the body to recharge and recover to optimize its functionality so you wake refreshed and ready for the next day. If you’ve ever gone without adequate quality sleep, you feel some easily relatable symptoms like irritability, a foggy head, and feeling grumpy.
Poor sleep in children can be detrimental to their overall well-being. This article will examine the connection between sleep and anxiety and the lasting impact of sleep on a child’s anxiety.
Sleep Stages and Sleep Deprivation in Children
Sleep is a complex process, and there are stages in which it occurs in children. As they go in and out of these stages during rest, it helps their bodies to achieve a full sleep cycle:
- Stage 1/N1 – In the beginning, the body isn’t fully relaxed; it is just preparing to sleep. It’s easy to wake up at this time, so when children are experiencing poor sleep, they usually don’t make it past this stage.
- Stage 1/N2 – a child’s body becomes more relaxed in this state, body temperature drops, and breathing and heart rate begin to slow down. Brain activity in children also slows and showcases small boosts in activity known as sleep spindles, which stabilize memory.
- Stage 3/N3 – children then move into deep sleep where the body is fully relaxed; this stage is helpful for restorative sleep and tends to occur in the first half of the night’s rest.
- Stage 4/REM – Rapid Eye Movement, or REM as it’s more frequently called, is the essential stage of children’s sleep for brain functionality; it helps with creativity, learning, and memory. REM often gives way to more vivid dreams and takes up much of the sleep cycle.
A lack of quality sleep in children results in various health problems, one of the most important being that of anxiety. Sleep affects our moods, and sleep deprivation can contribute to developing mental health problems that include anxiety and depression. It undermines emotions and reduces the influence of being in a positive mood.
Sleep and Anxiety
The science behind why sleep is necessary for children’s emotional health is still being studied. However, sleep is directly connected to activity in the brain, which drives the activity of other biological systems throughout the body.
Sleep recommendations for children vary based on age. Since children are growing and developing, they often need more sleep than adults. The main recommendation for ages 3 to 6 is that they need from ten to thirteen hours of sleep per night; for 6 up to age 13, they need anywhere from nine to twelve hours; and for ages 13 to 18, they need eight to ten hours of sleep.
Child anxiety and sleep are connected since when those recommended hours of sleep aren’t occurring, your child is more likely to experience problems. Sleep habits and patterns developed early in life have an impact on anxiety symptoms in children due to emotional processes being disrupted by poor sleep. It makes children more vulnerable to developing anxiety.
A study of 50 children between the ages of 7 and 11 revealed that inadequate sleep impacts emotional health by increasing negative emotions and altering positive experiences. Children find less pleasure in good things, so quality sleep on a set schedule is critical for children’s psychological health, so they can learn to process their feelings more efficiently.
How to Help Children With Sleep
Children who suffer from poor sleep may need help getting on a sleep schedule. For example, help child with adhd without medication on getting enough sleep may be complex and challenging for parents. But the impact of sleep on child anxiety should spark the need for some strategies, ideas, and sleep aids.
Here are some helpful tips and tricks to incorporate to eliminate poor sleep in children, reduce anxiety at night, and help them sleep better and more fully.
Set A Sleep Schedule
Having a bed time routine is a must. Going to bed and waking at the same time each is great for your child’s circadian rhythm (“biological clock”). It will keep them on a routine so it’s easier for them to fall asleep quickly and ensure they get enough hours of sleep every night.
Create a Relaxing Environment
The bedroom should be a place for relaxation and rest. Consider dimming the lights before bedtime if you have a child who likes to read or if you read them a story at night. Reducing as much light as possible sets the mood for sleep.
You might also consider incorporating things to help calm your children’s mood, such as a diffuser with aroma therapy or soft, therapeutic music. It can also help to cool down the room by setting the thermostat lower since that can help signal the body for rest.
Remove Distractions
Televisions, tablet screens, phones, and other such electronics usage before bed reduce the body’s ability to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps with sleep. Try to have everything turned off at least a half hour or more before the set bedtime to help your child’s body relax and prepare.
Follow A Bedtime Routine
Your routine should repeat a few critical elements each night to help signal that it’s time for sleep. Consider doing things in order, such as bathtime or shower, putting on pajamas, brushing their teeth, and saying the exact goodnight phrase before turning off the lights each night. These kinds of little set routines help your child understand the expectation of sleep and ensure that they will be ready for it.
When To See a Professional For Anxiety
If you notice that your child is suffering from insomnia or you’re concerned about their lack of sleep, you may want to discuss it with your child’s doctor or healthcare professional. You may notice your child is finding less joy in things, which could be attributed to insufficient rest.
There may be other recommendations or helpful techniques, therapy, even supplements or medications that may be necessary to help reduce anxiety and help your child gain quality sleep each night. Sleep helps maintain good system functions and brain skills, so poor sleep in children makes it much more difficult to cope with stress and challenges.
**See what “I’m just tired” means for your child’s mental health.
