Children Who Go To Bed Late Have More Problems, According To Study – You Are Mom

This habit of sending children to bed early is not new. It comes from generation to generation and we finally have a strong case to justify it.

Pediatric psychiatrist José Ferreira Belisario said that earlier it was much easier for children to sleep early. However, over the years it has become a much more complex task.

This bad habit greatly affects the future of our children. It gives rise to attention problems, anxiety and other disorders.

Can these habits be changed?

Yes, like everything, but there must be a very big contribution from the family. If they want to change the habits of the child, they should first change the habits of everyone.

If the child still hears noises in the house, people are watching television, lights and other devices turned on, he will think that there is still time to play and not to sleep.

Some advice from José Ferreira Belisario to avoid disorders in children:

1. All go to bed at the same time.  And this even if the parents are not really asleep. Set up a scene of tranquility, in which they appear to be.

2. Read stories before going to sleep. Getting children used to story time has been shown to let them know it’s time to sleep.

3. Yellow lighting in the house. The doctor also recommends that the lighting in the house be yellow in color. Indeed, the latter relaxes and stimulates the onset of sleep.

4. Do not interrupt children’s sleep. Avoid at all costs leaving cell phones with sound nearby, as they can disrupt our children’s sleep. There is always this possibility of receiving a message late at night, which can wake the child.

5. Sport helps children sleep. This makes children tire more and want to sleep earlier.

There are several disorders that can affect children

The doctor says the children should be sleeping at 12:30 a.m.  Because the hormone growth will start during the fourth stage of sleep.

If the child goes to bed too late, he will therefore be entitled to much less activity of this hormone.

How was this result obtained?

To determine the outcome of this study, the brain image of a child who goes to bed early was compared to that of a child who goes to bed late.

When performing a math exam, the first had many more areas solved. On the other hand, the second did much less.

This therefore allowed us to conclude that the child who slept less was less able to remember and solve the exercises.

They can also suffer from Alzheimer’s disease

In addition, the doctor added that children who go to bed early are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. On the other hand, children who sleep late are more susceptible to it. This is because the disease is delayed by sleep and exercise.

It is important for parents to develop certain strategies to get their children to sleep early. They thus prevent their future from being truncated by certain disorders due to lack of sleep.

Technology keeps kids from sleeping early

The doctor, Belén Esparis, has a nightly ritual for his children to place all of their electronic devices in a basket on the floor before sleeping.

Esparis says her children have used the tablet under the sheets more than once. “I almost had to take the door to my son’s room!” The Medical Director of the Sleep Disorders Laboratory and Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Coral Gables, laughs.

According to a study she did, the blue screen of phones has a long-lasting effect and prevents sleep.

“We already know that using these devices before going to bed reduces sleep by between 17 and 45 minutes per night.” Dr Leonardo Torres, professor of otolaryngology at the University of Miami Health System.

A study by Torres, found that just two hours spent in front of a device reduced by 20 percent the level of melatonin, a substance produced by the body and needed for sleep.

Both agree that it is important to strategize so that children do not use technology before going to bed. Thus, they will rest as much as they need.