The amount of sleep a child needs will depend on their age, with infants (4-12-month-olds) needing roughly 12-16 hours a day, toddlers (1-2-year-olds) requiring 11 to 14 hours a day, pre-schoolers (3-5-year-olds) needing 10 to 13 hours, grade schoolers (6-12-year-olds) needing 9 to 11 hours, and teens needing roughly 8 to 10 hours, on average, according to Queensland Health.
With that out the way, let’s look at this a little more closely as well as why sleep is so important to a child’s development, how to tell if your child isn’t getting enough sleep, and some tips and tricks to help your child fall asleep just that little bit easier.
Getting enough sleep is crucial for the overall health and well-being of children. It plays a fundamental role in many essential physiological and cognitive processes, including growth, immunity, learning, and memory. When children are sleeping, their bodies release growth hormones that help them develop and build the muscle mass they need. Additionally, sleep strengthens the immune system, which helps children fight off infections and diseases.
Furthermore, sleep has a critical impact on cognitive functioning, especially in the areas of learning and memory. During sleep, the brain processes and consolidates information learned during the day, which is important for memory formation and retention. Adequate sleep also enhances children’s ability to focus, pay attention, and regulate their emotions, leading to better academic performance and social interactions.
However, it is not just the quantity of sleep that matters, but also the quality. Good quality sleep means uninterrupted, restful sleep that allows the body to go through all the necessary sleep stages. These sleep stages include non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which are essential for physical and mental restoration. A regular sleep routine that allows children to go to bed and wake up at consistent times can help establish healthy sleep patterns.
Inadequate sleep can significantly impact a child’s physical and mental health. When a child doesn’t get enough sleep, they may exhibit a range of symptoms that can affect their daily life.
One of the most common signs of sleep deprivation in children is daytime sleepiness. The child may fall asleep at odd times, such as during class or while watching television. This could affect their ability to participate in activities, learn lessons, or complete tasks.
Additionally, and counter-intuitively, sleep-deprived children may also sometimes appear more hyperactive, especially in younger children. They may have difficulty sitting still, fidgeting, or constantly moving around. This hyperactivity can make it challenging for them to pay attention in class, affecting their learning and academic performance.
Sleep deprivation can also cause behavioural problems in children. They may become more irritable, moody, or cranky than usual. They may have a shorter temper and be more prone to outbursts or tantrums.
Moreover, the lack of sleep can impact their overall mood and ability to regulate their emotions. As a result, they may struggle with social interactions and have difficulty making friends. When a child is sleep-deprived, it can have a significant impact on their daily life, including their behaviour, academic performance, and overall well-being.
If you believe your child isn’t getting enough sleep, it’s important to garner a comprehensive understanding of the situation through careful observation. This helps to identify the various factors contributing to the problem. When trying to improve your child’s sleep, you should take into consideration the child’s age and what might be the underlying causes of their sleep difficulties. It’s also important to involve the child in the treatment process. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and working together towards a solution that works best for the child.
As we mentioned earlier the amount of sleep your child needs depends on their age, with infants needing roughly 12-16 hours a day, toddlers 11 to 14 hours a day, pre-schoolers 10 to 13, grade schoolers 9 to 11 hours, and teens needing roughly 8 to 10 hours, on average. But what other factors can affect how much and the quality of sleep your child gets?
There are various elements that impact the quality of sleep in children, including genetic factors, sleep habits, medical conditions, caregiver factors, screen time, and environmental factors. Be cautious of what might be going on both within your child and in their environment in order to optimise their sleep quality.
By implementing healthy sleep habits and addressing any potential sleep disorders, you can help your child get the restful and restorative sleep they need for optimal growth and development!
At Little Scholars, we ensure a calming routine to get children ready for rest time. That includes calm down activities, such as mindful breathing, quiet stories, relaxing music and more. If you’d like to learn more about how we introduce rest time activities, and how we can help by mirroring what you do in your family, please let us know.
If you’re a parent or caregiver to a young child, you have probably noticed that putting a screen in front of them at mealtimes keeps them sitting in their chair. But is it bad to eat while watching TV? Well, unfortunately, the disadvantages of watching TV while eating might outweigh the benefits.
Little Scholars provides an attractive and safe environment to children on the Gold Coast while giving you total peace of mind while your children are in our care. Learning areas include well-equipped playrooms and landscaped outdoor spaces for maximum learning opportunities. Book a tour today if you are looking for a childcare centre in South East Queensland.
A 2019 study found that about 70% of children in the UK watch TV during at least one meal a day. And while the UK is not Australia, it’s safe to say that the same might be true here!
But what happens when you eat in front of a screen? There are several disadvantages to watching TV while eating. Starting this habit at an early age could set a child up for negative health effects in the future. The following side effects indicate why eating while watching television could be a bad idea.
Eating in front of the TV or tablet can make children eat more. Research shows that children and adults eat more than they usually would when distracted. This increases the risk of obesity because of the excess calories that are consumed.
But eating while distracted by screens also leads to obesity as it prevents children from listening to the signals that tell them when they’re full. Over time, mealtime distraction can reduce sensitivity to hunger and fullness cues. This often leads to emotional eating, consuming unhealthy foods and snacking out of boredom.
Eating while watching TV may cause your child to become so fixated on what they’re watching that they pay no attention to the food on their plate.
Moreover, the digestive system is stimulated by the routines surrounding mealtimes. As you prepare food, set the table and smell the meal’s aromas, your body gets into gear to digest what you’re about to eat. Encouraging children to experience all of the sensations that come with nourishing themselves will promote healthy digestion and help them absorb nutrients properly.
Mealtimes are important to a child’s development. While they eat, children work on their fine and gross motor skills, explore new textures and learn about social and interpersonal interactions. They tend to multitask throughout the day, so it’s important for children to quieten down and focus on the meal instead of a moving image on a screen.
Sitting on the sofa may burn fewer calories than sitting at a table. That’s right, watching TV may lower your metabolic rate more than simply resting without watching screens.
If children often eat in front of the TV, they’re spending less energy. Therefore, they will burn fewer calories than they might otherwise.
Have you ever felt the need to keep snacking while watching TV? You may feel full but wonder why you’re still rummaging through the fridge for a treat.
When children eat in front of a screen, they may not feel satisfied. The central nervous system needs to connect the dots between hunger, the desire to eat, the act of eating, the feeling of fullness and the satisfaction that comes from consuming good food. Screen distractions challenge the sensory system, putting obstacles in these pathways. If the act of eating is merely treated as an afterthought, children may continue to seek out snacks past the point of physical fullness.
It’s never too late to be more intentional about mealtimes. However, implementing changes surrounding screens and food can feel challenging if your child is addicted to gadgets, electronics or screens.
Start by setting up a communal mealtime. Eat with your child whenever possible. Children pick up on cues from their surroundings. Making mealtimes a pleasant, stress-free and interactive experience can help children create a healthy relationship with food. Creating this routine can lead to healthier eating habits for you and your child.
Involving your child in the process can also help them look forward to mealtimes without screens. Ask for help in age-appropriate ways. Younger children can attempt to feed themselves using a spoon. Toddlers can hand out napkins or lunch boxes. Older children can help with some of the preparation.
If you have trouble getting a child to eat without watching a screen, you may have to remove the distraction gradually. Wean children off of screens during meals by taking the following steps:
Not exactly. This habit doesn’t necessarily impair the health of the neurons. However, it does reinforce neural pathways that link eating with watching TV. This makes it harder to get through a meal without the distraction. It also promotes unhealthy eating patterns and habits throughout life.
At Little Scholars, we provide quality early learning and care services for children in South East Queensland in a warm and loving environment. We encourage healthy eating and provide freshly cooked, nutritious and allergen-aware meals for all of our children. We also sit together and talk while we eat, encouraging meaningful connections and conversation with children and educators while we sit down to a healthy meal.
We aim to be an extension of your family while fostering nurturing relationships between our educators and children, as well as the relationships between the children who attend our program. Valuing all our relationships is important to us – with you as the parent or guardian, your child, and other loved ones in your life. Book a tour today.
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we’re dedicated to shaping bright futures and instilling a lifelong passion for learning. With our strategically located childcare centres in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, we provide tailored educational experiences designed to foster your child’s holistic development.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
