Sleep Trouble in School-Age Kids
written by Patty Thule
USA Weekend Magazine, Nov. 17, 2002

        In an on-the-go nation that prides itself on "getting by" on very little sleep, children are the latest victims of this cultural disinclination toward rest.
        But sleep experts say a bit more sleep can make your children better behaved, better able to learn and--get this, teens--better looking.
        Parents are frequently unaware of the subtle signs of chronic, low-level sleep deprivation in children, says Judith Owens, director of the pediatric sleep disorders clinic at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, R.I.  Behavior and mood changes may be due to sleepiness.
        In fact, some children are mistakenly diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder when all they need is more or better sleep.  "children react to sleep deprivation with hyperactivity," says Richard Gelula, executive director of the National Sleep Foundation (www.sleepfoundation.org). "It's a coping strategy for maintaining wakefulness."
        Experts think sleep has a role in processing outside stimulation. Sleep seems to be important for learning and memory, "not just learning facts, but also learning skills," says Ronald Dahl, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Something about sleep helps consolidate or support learning."
        Babies, who are sponges for learning, sleep more often and more deeply, and dream more than other age groups. But in school-age children, unyielding classroom schedules, after-school activities, and homework, are at war with sleep.
        Dahl estimates 10% to 30% of children suffer symptoms of insufficient sleep. It's especially true for adolescents, who struggle to get enough sack-time as body clocks shift, activities keep them up later and school buses come earlier.
        "Young people are leading an incredibly hectic life," Dahl says. "Sleep is the one thing that goes."
        Beyond under-eye bags and a tired appearance, there are dire consequences. "The youngest drivers are horribly over-represented by late-night accidents," Dahl says. "somebody's probably falling asleep. They're just learning the skills. They're sleep deprived. Add alcohol...[and] you couldn't make a more volatile mix for disaster."
        For adolescents already hit by strong emotions, lack of sleep makes it more difficult to control them. "It's the equivalent of a toddler falling apart," Dahl says. "They just can't control what they're feeling."

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