Sleep is an active, repetitive, physiological state that is indispensable for life and has a certain duration. The contribution of that process, where we close our eyes and fall asleep, to our health is quite great. Sleep has many important functions such as growth, development, learning, memory, behavior and emotional development, strengthening of the immune system, hormone release, the body’s self-renewal and preparation for the new day.
The effect of healthy sleep on children is also critical. Especially in the development of mental worlds… A study conducted in Australia also draws attention to this.
Daytime sleep and its effects on learning
Important in the process of learning to read is the ability to match letters with sounds. Sleep is one of the main factors for acquiring this skill and strengthening memory.
A study conducted in Australia investigated whether daytime sleep helps letter-sound matching in children. According to the results of the study conducted on 32 preschool children, children after daytime sleep showed better letter-sound learning performance than the period after wakefulness. This study provided the first evidence that daytime napping may be beneficial for preschoolers in learning letter-sound mappings.
As a result, sleep is indispensable for human development. So, what should a healthy sleep pattern be like in children? What should parents pay attention to? Health Sciences University Erenköy Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital Sleep Disorders Center Coordinator Prof. Dr. We sought answers to these questions with S. Füsun Domaç.
Sleep patterns in children according to age
Having good sleep habits during newborn and childhood is very important for a healthy life in adulthood. Insufficient sleep during the development period causes behavioral and cognitive problems, reducing the quality of life of both the child and the family. So, what does the sleep pattern contribute to children? Domaç begins his speech by saying, “Growth hormone, which is important for the child’s brain and body development and growth, is released during deep sleep.” He points out that sleep durations vary according to periods, and explains what kind of a course it is in each age group with the following words:
“Sleep durations vary between 12-18 hours in the newborn period. Babies born prematurely can sleep for longer periods of time. Short and multiple sleep periods recur within 24 hours. There is no difference between night and day.
During infancy (3 months-1 year), the duration of night sleep begins to increase. Babies who sleep 10-14 hours at night sleep approximately 3-4 hours, divided into 2 or 3 hours during the day. While 6-month-old babies usually sleep twice during the day, their sleep time at night begins to increase. “Almost all babies wake briefly during the night, and many fall back asleep on their own.”
At this point, Domaç gives an important warning to parents:
“When the baby wakes up at night, it is important to leave the baby in his bed and wait until he falls asleep to help the baby gain the habit of falling asleep again on his own.”
According to Domaç, the sleep habit acquired at the age of 6 months lays the foundations for sleep in the following years. Sleep-related problems such as insomnia with difficulty falling asleep, frequent interruptions of sleep at night, night fears, and not wanting to go to bed may occur in children who are rocked on their laps or slept next to them when they wake up.
Sleep pattern in childhood
The nightly sleep duration of toddlers (1-3 years old) varies between 10-12 hours. Children now sleep once a day. Domaç also lists the problems that may be experienced during this period:
“About a quarter of children begin to experience sleep-related complaints such as resistance to going to bed to sleep, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings. “Behavioral problems can also be seen during the day in children who sleep less.”
In the preschool period (3-5 years old), daytime naps begin to decrease and end, and night sleep durations are around 11-12 hours. Domaç says, “Approximately three quarters of children aged 5 do not sleep during the day.”
Sleep in school-age children
Let’s talk about the sleep patterns of school-going children (6-12 years old). When they sleep 10-11 hours a night, they are alert and mentally and physically active during the day. Prof. Dr. Domaç states that short-term sleeping during the day, or in other words, napping, is rare.
Children’s sleep habits may change during school days/weekends, holidays and summer months. Sleep problems can be seen in one third of children in this age group. We learn from Domaç what these are:
“The most common complaints are resistance to going to bed for sleep, difficulty initiating sleep, and excessive sleepiness during the day. Insufficient sleep time, sleep apnea syndrome, poor sleep hygiene, anxiety disorder and depression can cause these complaints. Due to short sleep duration, attention and memory may be affected, decision-making, problem-solving and learning difficulties may be accompanied by psychiatric findings such as intense stress, anxiety disorder, depression and aggressive behavior. In a study, it was stated that these findings continued for approximately 2 years in children who had insufficient sleep, meaning that not getting enough sleep could have long-term negative effects.”
When should daytime sleep be stopped?
Prof. Dr. Domaç emphasizes that sleeping during the day has positive effects on learning and memory in infancy and preschool periods. He cites research showing that preschool children who sleep during the day are more successful in letter-sound matching after waking up. “In a different study, it was found that sleeping during the day alone is not enough, and that learning is more permanent if night sleep is regular and of sufficient duration,” he says.
So how should daytime sleep be planned? How long should the child be put to sleep during the day? Domaç’s answer to these questions is as follows:
“There is no definite age to stop daytime sleep, the child’s behavior and physical findings are guiding in this regard. “If your child does not seem tired and restless when he does not sleep during the day, if he is not sleepy during the time he goes to sleep during the day and, on the contrary, has difficulty falling asleep, if he has difficulty falling asleep at night because he sleeps during the day, this indicates that he no longer needs to sleep during the day.”
Sleep problems in children
Sleep problems may occur in the preschool period, when linguistic development and mental reasoning occur. Prof. Dr. Domaç describes the negativities that may be experienced in this process as follows:
“Sleep disorders such as delaying the time to go to bed, resisting falling asleep because of fear of the dark and monsters, nightmare disorder, waking up with fear, and sleep walking may begin during this period.”
Prof. Dr. Domaç emphasizes that sleep disorders seen in adulthood can also be seen in childhood. “While children’s sleep patterns are questioned, what the child does before going to bed each night, the time he goes to bed, the environmental conditions of the room he sleeps in (does he share the room with his sibling, is there a television in the room, etc.), how long does it take him to fall asleep after going to bed, whether he sleeps during the day, and whether he sleeps during the day.” “If he sleeps, it should be checked whether he finds it more difficult to sleep at night,” he explains, explaining what situations parents should pay attention to as follows:
“Whether he or she wakes up frequently during the night, has difficulty falling back to sleep, nightmares, waking up with fear by screaming, walking in one’s sleep, snoring, waking up with shortness of breath, or attacks of temporary breathing stops during sleep noticed by parents or siblings, seizures, and bed-wetting at night should be questioned.
It should also be monitored how he wakes up in the morning, whether he has difficulty waking up, whether he is excessively sleepy and tired during the day, whether he needs to take a nap during the day or falls asleep easily during the day, his success in school, and whether he can pay attention to classes.
Domaç states that social relations, relationships with family members and parents, experiences in the home environment, school and social stress factors should also be learned by parents. He states that conditions such as anxiety disorder, depression, hyperactivity and attention deficit can be seen together with sleep disorders during this period. So what should parents do if these behavioral characteristics are seen? We hear from Domaç:
“If you observe these findings in your child, you should first consult your pediatrician and investigate whether there is any reason that may cause them. If psychiatric problems are accompanied, the child should be evaluated by a psychiatrist and it should be investigated whether sleep-related complaints have a psychiatric origin. “If your child’s complaints suggest a sleep disorder, a sleep medicine physician should be consulted and sleep tests should be performed when necessary.”
