The lost hours
Five facts every parent should know about kids and sleep deprivation.

1. Sleep makes you smarter“Any amount of sleep deprivation will diminish mental performance,” says Mark Mahowald, a professor of neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. “Just suffering through one sleepless night has been shown to have similar effects as having a legally intoxicating blood alcohol level, making it nearly impossible to pay attention in class let alone retain any information.”

2. Even an hour makes a difference. “Just one more game — pleeeeease, Mom!” With his cute little face, it’s all too easy to give in to your child's pleading, but sticking to a schedule is the first step in helping him do better in school. A recent study by the University of Tel Aviv found that children’s ability to learn was severely impaired by forgoing even the smallest amount of shuteye. Researchers discovered that adding just one hour of sleep to the test children’s schedule improved their attention and memory span by almost two grade levels.

3. Children have stress too With the pressures of fitting in at school, getting good grades, and keeping up with extracurricular activities, children's stress levels are at an all-time high — even for preschoolers. Many kids are scheduled to the point of not having adequate time to play. “Children need creative play as an outlet,” says sleep specialist Dr. Edward Abortowski. “When children’s minds are filled with schoolwork and lessons and television, they need some sort of an active release so that they’re not racing all night long.”

4. Sleep deprivation can be mistaken for AD/HD. Have a child who can’t sit still? Before you make a trip to the doctor, experts suggest monitoring his sleep schedule. A recent discovery by the National Institutes of Health revealed that an alarming number of children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) were instead suffering from chronic sleep deprivation. According to Abortowski, “Sleep deprivation mimics the symptoms present in children with AD/HD — poor concentration, mood swings, irritability, and reaction control — yet is often not asked about when the disease is first diagnosed.” Lack of sleep also leads to a temporary loss in IQ levels, making it that much harder for children to pay attention and absorb what’s being taught in class.

5. There’s no magic number. Despite what we’ve been told for ages, the consensus among experts these days is that there is no perfect number to hit for a good night’s sleep. “The myth of eight hours being the perfect amount for humans is just plain wrong. Sleep needs vary among individuals, and they certainly vary with age,” says Abortowski. “There are guidelines to follow, but everyone is different, and parents need to take the time to find what works for their child.”

The National Sleep Foundation suggests the following guidelines for children:

• 6- to 9-year-olds need about 10 hours of sleep a night.
• 10- to 12-year-olds need a little over nine hours each night.
• Teenagers should aim for eight to nine hours per night.

If your child isn't getting enough sleep during the week, beware of playing catch-up on weekends. “What parents need to remember,” says Abortowski, “is that following a schedule is actually the most important piece of the sleeping puzzle. This is especially hard for teenagers, who tend to oversleep on the weekends. Ideally, your child should be going to bed and waking up around the same time every day, give or take a half-hour.” A good way to judge this is by setting the alarm. If your child isn't waking up refreshed before the alarm rings, it’s a sign that she needs more sleep.