This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Meher Farooq about the importance of good sleep for kids. Dr. Farooq is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and a Pediatric Sleep Medicine Specialist at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. When children don't get enough sleep, it can impact their physical development, emotional regulation, and behavior. Doctor Meher Farooq is here to talk about how much sleep kids need at each stage, with tips to create a good sleep routine. Doctor Farooq is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and a pediatric sleep medicine specialist at MUSC. Doctor Farooq, tell us more about how a good night's sleep supports a child's health and development.
Dr. Farooq: Sleep supports the child's health and development in many ways. Sleep is a way to regulate our hormones, and it does a lot for physical and mental health. For physical health, it helps with the immune system. It helps with growth. It helps with emotional regulation. It helps with your brain function and consolidating memory, as well as feeling less tired and sleepy during the day. It also helps with protecting against chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity as well.
Conner: And tell us the amounts of sleep that kids need at each stage of development.
Dr. Farooq: The amount of sleep that kids need for each stage of development lessens over time. So, in infancy, we're looking at around 14 to 15 hours. And, up until three years old, maybe around 12 to 12.5 hours. From 5 to 6, you're looking at 11 hours. And this all includes naps from ages infancy to about six years old. Beyond that, age six to about eight years old, around 11 hours. Ages nine through 12, you're looking at ten hours of sleep at night, and then from 13 to 24, you're looking at nine to 9.5 hours of sleep.
Conner: What are some of your best suggestions for parents to keep a good night's sleep routine going for their kids?
Dr. Farooq: Some of the best suggestions I can give is to keep a consistent routine day to day. That's the most important. That includes weekdays and weekends, having a consolidated routine of wind down activities like bathing, reading, brushing your teeth, and then restricting that to about 30 minutes. And doing those same activities every night is very important. Having a cool, quiet, dark room is also important. And, all of these things can help with allowing children to sleep independently.
Conner: When kids are not getting adequate sleep what are some of the signs and symptoms that parents might notice?
Dr. Farooq: So, some signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation or sleep debt is immediately noticeable during the day. Kids feel fatigued. They feel sleepy during idle activities. They might nap or doze off. Kids can also seem like they are not paying attention or are distractible. It can also affect mood as well, where kids feel a little bit more irritable. They might have a few more temper tantrums than you have noticed. And, then you can see a lack of sleep affecting their learning and how they interact with other people, as well as their mental health-feeling more anxious or sad. All of these things can develop over time.
Conner: Doctor Farooq, thanks for this information about adequate sleep for kids.
Dr. Farooq: Thanks for having me.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
