World Sleep Day: Good Sleep Means Great Growth

World sleep day highlights the negative effects of sleep not only for adults & parents but for children too. It’s bad enough waking up after too little sleep as an adult. Scratchy eyes, feeling irritable, and just wanting to crawl back into a nice warm bed.

For young children the experience of having too little sleep is the same; however, this will usually manifest into tantrums but can even lead to long-term problems going into the future. Not only does lack of sleep lead to irritability but it can also hinder development and increase the risk of health issues such as obesity, this is why a day such as World Sleep Day is so important, as it can highlight these issues.

What Is World Sleep Day?

World Sleep Day is just around the corner but what is it all about? World Sleep Day is all about celebrating the benefits of healthy sleep. It's a day that inspires to educate people on sleep issues such as the prevention and management of sleep disorders.

When it comes to sleeping, it's a real issue for many parents across the globe, not just for their own sleep but for their children's sleep as well. Since World Sleep Day is just around the corner; let's take a look at the importance of sleep as a child, but first of all, when is World Sleep Day?

When Is World Sleep Day?

"World Sleep Day is held the Friday before Spring Vernal Equinox of each year." - officially stated by the World Sleep Day Organisation. In 2022 World Sleep Day will commence on Friday, 18th March.

Why Is Sleep So Important As A Child?

Deep sleep, more often referred to as slow-wave sleep, is the sleep that makes you feel especially groggy when you wake up because the body has not completed the full sleep cycle. It is also known that this particular phase of sleep is when the body secretes the growth hormones that are so important from birth onwards.

For a child to grow they need these hormones which are secreted by the pituitary gland. During deep sleep, your little one’s body is not using energy to maintain its wakeful state so all of that energy can get diverted to support the growth hormones and ensure growth and development occurs. The old wives’ tale that says lack of sleep stunts your growth maybe a little closer to the truth than we once thought.

One rough night for a child will not mean problems but if adequate sleep is not provided in the long term there is a risk of growth and development problems. Good sleep really does mean good growing so if your bundle of joy does not appear to be making the most of their sleep time look to your routines and if there is still not improvement then a visit to your doctor would be a good idea.

What Happens If A Child Doesn't Get Enough Sleep?

Outside of the obvious effects of not sleeping enough such as tiredness, there are many complications with not sleeping enough such as;

Diet Concerns

If your child does not get enough sleep their bodies are not as capable of dealing with the impact as an adult is. Amongst the many problems that can arise is a problem with obesity.

A lack of sleep can lead to a lack of hormone control which can impact development as well as appetite. Children can suffer from loss of appetite to an overstimulated desire to eat, either of which can be bad for long-term growth and health.

Inability to Concentrate

A lack of sleep is especially concerning for children as they are growing, learning, and developing every day. A lack of sleep can hinder this progress as tired children will struggle to concentrate at school. We can all sympathize with the struggle to concentrate after a restless night’s sleep; therefore it is essential to consider ways to improve your child’s sleeping habits if they are struggling to concentrate in school and are starting to fall behind.

How to help your child sleep

There are various ways you can help improve your child’s quality of sleep. The first step is to identify possible issues; these may be obvious but, in most cases, they may not be so simple. Some of the things you can do to improve the quality of sleep for your child are; to remove screens from their room, create a relaxing bedtime routine, assess their diet, and stick to a schedule.

The old wives’ tale that says lack of sleep stunts your growth maybe a little closer to the truth than we once thought. One rough night for a child will not mean problems but if adequate sleep is not provided in the long term there is a risk of growth and development problems.

Picking The Right Bed

Good sleep really does mean good growth, so picking a comfortable bed and mattress for the job is imperative. Picking the right bed and mattress for your child will not only aid in helping them get more excited to sleep but will also encourage a restful night's sleep which benefits the whole family! Check out our list of children's beds for sale below! Since World Sleep Day is around the corner, we are also offering 50% off all pillows and duvets when bought with a bed - simply used code SLEEP22.