Does your child not grow? He might not sleep well: this is how lack of sleep affects children
When we think of a child's height, we usually associate it with genetics and even diet, but we rarely think that sleep also has an influence. If you notice that your child is not growing, he may not sleep properly: this is how lack of sleep affects children.
In contrast, the National Institutes of Health explains that lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity, heart disease, and infections … And it doesn't just apply to adults.
For this reason, at Salud180 we talked with Dr. Angélica Martínez, a specialist in pediatric endocrinology, about the importance of sleep in children and how it affects when there is a poor quality of sleep.
How does sleep influence growth?
Sleeping properly not only helps to have energy, in children, it also influences growth. Deep, nocturnal sleep causes growth hormone to be released more widely, helping you reach your growth potential.
According to Dr. Martínez, although growth depends on many factors and not all children will measure the same, in order to grow to their full potential, elements such as diet, exercise, and sleep are important.
Regarding the latter, although growth hormone is released 24 hours a day, it is at night when it is secreted with greater amplitude. Therefore, good habits optimize this secretion and contribute to growth at all stages of childhood.
Other consequences of a child not getting enough sleep
It's not just the size. The doctor emphasizes that the lack of quality sleep affects the growth and comprehensive development of children. For example, it can alter neurodevelopment, because, during sleep, the brain creates neural connections.
Likewise, other hormones are altered, such as cortisol, which has its maximum peak around dawn. This regulates aspects such as cardiovascular, temperature, part of the glucose, which affects different aspects of health... not to mention its performance.
How many hours should a child sleep to grow properly?
Sleep needs are individual and vary by age. For example, during the school stage (from 6 to 12 years old), 9 to 12 hours of sleep are recommended every 24 hours, while in the preschool stage (3 to 5 years old), the Mayo Clinic Medical Institute speaks of 10 to 13 hours for every 24 hours, including naps.
However, the specialist shares that it is not only about how much a child sleeps, but that this sleep is nocturnal and deep, and takes place at a certain time. This means that he should go to sleep around 8 or 9 at night.
The reason is that growth hormone is best released when we are in a deep sleep stage. With this schedule, it would be around 9:30 to 10 at night, which is ideal, because this hormone is secreted until around 5 or 6 in the morning.
In contrast, when children sleep late, they may get their sleep hours by getting up late, but they will not be effective hours. Hence, the changes in sleep cycles that the pandemic brought and we are still dragging, have led to growth alterations.
Among the signs are that your child is one of the youngest in the room, when before he was in the middle, or that he has not changed his clothes from one school year to another. If so, it is important not only to return to healthy habits, including good quality sleep but also to see a specialist.
This way, you can do an evaluation and determine what the cause is and provide the correct treatment, such as growth hormone.
How do I know if my child does not have a good quality of sleep?
Many times we have heard that sleeping is not enough, it is important to rest and have a good quality of sleep, however, sleep is not linear and rest does not look the same for everyone.
As Dr. Martínez points out, throughout the night cycle, we fluctuate between shallow, medium, and deep sleep. But, to identify if we sleep correctly, it is not enough to see how we sleep or if we stay still at night, because some children turn around in bed a lot and still rest.
The key to realizing if sleep is being effective is to analyze your little one's performance, growth, and development. For example, if you get your full 9 hours of sleep but feel tired, do poorly in school, or have growth faltering, it's important to consider whether a sleep disorder is involved.
How can we create a sleep routine for our children?
Children need to have a sleep routine, in a suitable environment, quiet, dark, and where they feel safe. For this, it is recommended that as they grow, children sleep alone, this not only helps them rest but also creates independence and benefits their neurodevelopment.
On the other hand, it is important not to sleep with the television, radio or computers on, in addition to removing electronics, at least one hour before bedtime, in this way we help the brain rest and fall asleep correctly.
Dr. Martínez emphasizes that it is also important to have a calm, quiet, and dark room. If necessary, a dim light can be left on, but not the whole room on, as the brain needs darkness to relax and produce melatonin to induce quality sleep.
Finally, we must not forget the food. Although a balanced and varied diet is key to children's health, at break time it is important to avoid heavy dinners, high in saturated fats or carbohydrates, as well as very spicy ones.
Can children take melatonin to sleep?
Among the supplements to fall asleep, melatonin supplements have undoubtedly become popular, as they are considered to be of natural origin since it is a hormone that is produced in the brain and, by taking it, we synthesize it in a better way to induce sleep, however, we must be careful.
Although the specialist points out that, in general, children can take it, this must be with a medical prescription and never as self-medication, otherwise, we will not know what dose to give or the contraindications.
Likewise, before trying any sleep supplement, it is important to analyze why our child is not sleeping and correct sleep hygiene. If after making the necessary adjustments and creating a suitable routine, your little one is not sleeping, talk to your doctor to see if melatonin is a good option.
Sleep is essential at all stages, but in children, it plays a key role in their development. Include it in your family's healthy habits and complement it with proper nutrition and physical activity, to maintain its health and growth.
