*Flashback Friday*

*This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on March 17, 2017.

 

Why We Need Sleep

 

 

Today is World Sleep Day, an annual event “intended to be a celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep, including medicine, education, social aspects and driving.” We learned yesterday that elephants function very well on very little sleep. We know that humans don’t.

Getting enough good quality sleep each night has been shown to maintain good physical and mental health and improve quality of life, safety, and performance of daily tasks like learning, working, and playing. While adults might get used to either short or chronic periods of sleep deprivation and not recognize the detriment to their well-being, the AAP warns parents that children are particularly vulnerable due to lack of sleep:

Regular sleep deprivation often leads to some pretty difficult behaviors and health problems—irritability, difficulty concentrating, hypertension, obesity, headaches, and depression. Children who get enough sleep have a healthier immune system, and better school performance, behavior, memory, and mental health.

 

The National Institutes of Health illuminates the vital role that adequate sleep plays on healthy brain function and emotional well-being, pointing to studies indicating that sleep helps us learn, remember, and solve problems:

Studies also show that sleep deficiency alters activity in some parts of the brain. If you’re sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior, and coping with change. Sleep deficiency also has been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior.

Children and teens who are sleep deficient may have problems getting along with others. They may feel angry and impulsive, have mood swings, feel sad or depressed, or lack motivation. They also may have problems paying attention, and they may get lower grades and feel stressed.

 

Sleep is also important in promoting good physical health and is a key component in maintaining cardiovascular health. NIH notes that chronic sleep deficiency increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and high blood pressure. Obesity and diabetes are both linked to sleep deficiency due to hormonal disruptions that wouldn’t occur with adequate sleep. Sleep affects physical health in other ways that are especially important to children:

Sleep also supports healthy growth and development. Deep sleep triggers the body to release the hormone that promotes normal growth in children and teens. This hormone also boosts muscle mass and helps repair cells and tissues in children, teens, and adults. Sleep also plays a role in puberty and fertility.

Your immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy. This system defends your body against foreign or harmful substances. Ongoing sleep deficiency can change the way in which your immune system responds. For example, if you’re sleep deficient, you may have trouble fighting common infections.

 

Sleep deprivation puts everyone else at risk — a point teenagers learning how to drive should take to heart:

Some people aren’t aware of the risks of sleep deficiency. In fact, they may not even realize that they’re sleep deficient. Even with limited or poor-quality sleep, they may still think that they can function well.

For example, drowsy drivers may feel capable of driving. Yet, studies show that sleep deficiency harms your driving ability as much as, or more than, being drunk. It’s estimated that driver sleepiness is a factor in about 100,000 car accidents each year, resulting in about 1,500 deaths.

Drivers aren’t the only ones affected by sleep deficiency. It can affect people in all lines of work, including health care workers, pilots, students, lawyers, mechanics, and assembly line workers.

 

Good sleep habits begin early in life and there are a lot of things parents can do promote them, including establishing regular bedtime routines. We’ll look at some AAP guidelines to help parents out next week on The PediaBlog. In the meantime, Happy World Sleep Day everyone!

 

(Google Images)

 

source https://www.thepediablog.com/2023/03/17/flashback-friday-250/