Back to School Edition | Pediatric and Adolescent Sleep Medicine
Oct 24, 2024
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Julie M. Baughn, a pulmonologist and sleep specialist at Mayo Clinic, discusses the critical importance of sleep for children and adolescents. She reveals that up to 50% of kids and 40% of teens have sleep issues that can affect their mood, school performance, and social interactions. Baughn explains common sleep disorders and the unique sleep needs of youth, including the impact of technology and school schedules. She shares tips for improving sleep hygiene and highlights the need for early intervention to manage sleep challenges effectively.
Adequate sleep is crucial for children's cognitive and physical development, with up to 50% experiencing sleep challenges affecting their daily lives.
Adjusting school start times can significantly improve sleeping patterns, enhancing teenagers' mood and concentration while aligning younger children's bedtimes with their natural cycles.
Deep dives
Importance of Sleep for Children
Children and adolescents require significantly more sleep than adults due to their ongoing physical and mental development. Infants need up to 16 hours of sleep, while teenagers generally need about 8 to 10 hours. As children grow, their sleep requirements decrease, but many still struggle to attain the necessary rest due to societal pressures and busy schedules. Insufficient sleep can lead to various issues, including behavioral problems and difficulties in concentration, often misinterpreted as ADHD.
Impact of School Schedules on Sleep
School start times can drastically affect the sleep patterns and overall well-being of children and adolescents. Research suggests that delaying school start times for teenagers improves their total sleep duration, which in turn enhances mood and focus. Conversely, younger children typically require an earlier bedtime to align with their natural sleep cycles. This misalignment can result in chronic sleep deprivation among children, impacting their daily functioning.
Recognizing and Addressing Sleep Disorders
Parents should remain vigilant for signs of sleep disorders in their children, such as snoring, daytime sleepiness, and attention issues. Up to 50% of children face sleep difficulties, which may stem from neurodevelopmental issues or insufficient sleep. Common interventions include behavioral strategies and maintaining consistent sleep routines. In cases where problems persist beyond general sleep hygiene improvements, consulting a sleep specialist for further evaluation may be necessary.
Sleep is very important for a child’s physical and mental health and plays a vital role in the development of cognitive and motor skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that up to 50% of children and 40% of adolescents have problems with their sleep, which may manifest as issues in school, mood disorders as well as relationship problems with others. What kind of sleep problems do children and adolescents commonly experience? When should we suspect impaired sleep is causing problems and do children and adolescents have some of the same sleep disorders as adults? I’ll be asking these questions and more as we explore “Pediatric and Adolescent Sleep Medicine” as part of our “Back to School” series of podcasts. My guest is Julie M. Baughn, M.D., a pulmonologist and sleep specialist at the Mayo Clinic.
To learn more about this series, check it out HERE
Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.
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