Sleep is integral to your mental, emotional, and physical health. The mental and physical fatigue brought on each day can be tiring. A good night’s rest is how your body recharges after a long day. Poor sleep can cause a host of health issues, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and mental health issues. Sleep is also necessary for children as it helps with their development. Kids’ brains are inundated with new information every day, so sleep is a time where their brain processes it. You may wonder, do kids need more sleep than adults?
Do Kids Need More Sleep than Adults?
Because children are in the process of growing, they need more sleep than adults. It is recommended that adults get between 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night. Children require more sleep and depending on their age, the amount of sleep necessary can differ. Below you will find the recommended hours of sleep for children from newborn to school age.
- Newborn (0-3 months): 14 to 17 hours
- Infant (4 to 11 months): 12 to 15 hours
- Toddler (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours
- Preschool (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours
- School Age (6 to 13 years): 9 to 11 hours
Children need more sleep than adults because they are in the process of growing. Physical and mental development is necessary for children to fully develop and mature in a healthy way. Healthy sleep patterns help children maintain a healthy weight, reduces the risk of obesity, and other harmful physical health issues. Children who don’t get the right amount of quality sleep are more likely to have behavioral problems at school.
The Importance of Sleep
One-third of your life is spent sleeping as it is necessary for survival. Sleep allows your body to repair cells and help you feel rejuvenated when you wake up. As you sleep, your body releases growth hormones that help regenerate your bones, tissue, and muscles. The stress from day-to-day life can impact your body and sleep allows your body to restore itself. It also helps your mind recover from the mental stressors that impact your day. Sleep is not only reparative, but it can also be beneficial to your mental health. Sleep helps your brain process new information, stores memories into your long-term storage, and people have even reported getting new and creative ideas as they dream.
The risk of not getting enough quality sleep is grave. Your daily life can be impacted in a variety of ways. Sleep issues can lead to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. It can also impact your attention span, memory, and decision-making skills. In addition to the mental impact, poor sleep can lead to physical health issues. Lack of sleep can cause you to experience hunger more intensely to overcompensate for the lack of sleep. This can lead to overeating, weight gain, and other physical health issues.
Pediatric Sleep Care in NYC
Sleep is important to the social, mental, and physical development of children. If your child is struggling with sleep, it’s important to seek help. It could be a sleep disorder that requires treatment so it’s necessary to talk with a professional. Monitor your child’s sleep as best as possible as this information can help determine what the root issue is. For the top expert in Pediatric Sleep Care in NYC, contact Dr. Mayank Shukla at the Asthma & Sleep Institute. Dr. Shukla is a skilled in pediatric sleep issues, allergy treatments, and he is the top asthma doctor in NYC. Contact his clinic today for a consultation so you can help your child get a better night’s rest.
