Rhule, P. (15-17 November, 2002) “Sleep Trouble in School-Age Kids,” USA Weekend
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Overview

Rhule raises the startling matter of sleep-deprivation among American youths. In a culture that is increasingly faced with problems in child/teenage behavior, learning, health, and safety, it seems that the basic need for better rest is far from irrelevant.

 

The backdrop for the problem is set by a culture that generally pays little heed to the need for sleep, instead inclining toward a ‘getting by’ sufficiency standard. As a result, parents are frequently unaware of the subtle signs of chronic, low-level sleep deprivation in children. Insufficient rest can, notes Rhule, often lead to stunted growth and a weakening of the immune system. Even the hyperactivity and attention deficiency that sometimes result from inadequate sleep are misdiagnosed as disorders in their own right.

 

But why is sleep so important to childhood and young adult formation? According to Ronald Dahl, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, sleep is critical for learning and memory development. And yet, the tendency toward busy classroom schedules, after-school activities, and homework often vies with this basic need. Dahl estimates that 10-30% of children suffer symptoms of insufficient sleep. “Young people are leading an incredibly hectic life. Sleep is the one thing that goes.”

 

One result is that teenage drivers show a particularly high rate of late-night auto accidents. Moreover, the surge of emotions that preoccupy adolescents is catalyzed in an unhelpful way by sleep deprivation. Children and teenagers who are fatigued have less energy to draw on in processing the drama of life in a healthy way.

 

How much sleep is needed?

 

·        Age 0-3 months: 15-17 hours

 

·        Age 3-18 months: 13-15 hours

 

·        Age 18 months-3 years: 11-13 hours

 

·        Age 4-12: 10 hours

 

·        Teens: 8.5-9.5 hours

 

·        Adults: 7-9 hours

 

 

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

 

1.      Do you pay attention to the sleep needs of your children?

 

2.      How much sleep do teenagers you know get on average?

 

3.      What factors limit the length or quality of their sleep?

 

4.      Are teenagers and children aware of the importance of good rest?

 

5.      Is this priority modeled sufficiently in your home?

 

 

Implications

The suggestion that we, as a culture, tend to underestimate the importance of rest is not controversial. Our tendency to associate child/teenage behavior or learning difficulties with other, more ‘specialized’, explanations is also evident. We tend to favor categorical justifications for developmental difficulties without paying attention to the more obvious need for good rest. Moreover, one wonders what role the increasingly technology-fixated and television/video-game addicted nature of youth culture plays on this basic need.

 

Christopher S. Yates cCYS