这是今年三月份的一个专访，专题是儿童与睡眠的关系, 主要针对从小学到高中的学龄儿童的睡眠问题，采访方是密西根州的某校区。

Children have a special relationship with sleep

Lynnell (Nixon) Fowler 

It’s common to everyone, a bit mysterious, and many physicians would tell you it’s one of the our most underrated health factors: we sleep. Yet in our current culture, sleep time is shrinking, despite a near-universal craving for more of it. And children, especially, need proper sleep for optimal mental and physical well-being.

How much sleep do we need?

Studies show adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep every night, but children need a lot more. Pre-schoolers need 11-13 hours every day, and elementary school age children need 10 -11 hours. Teenagers also need more sleep than adults – more like 8.5 hours each night – and Yunpeng Wu, MD, a sleep specialist at OhioHealth, recommends 9 hours.

What happens when we don’t get enough?

“A National Sleep Foundation study shows that 15 percent of teenagers fall asleep at school,” says Dr. Wu. “Daytime sleepiness is a common problem.” However, it is not the only problem.

When children and teens get insufficient sleep, they can sometimes have paradoxically high proactivity. This is often mistaken for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because they are hyperactive and cannot concentrate as well. “We get many referrals from family doctors because students appear to have ADHD,” says Dr. Wu. “Kids react to sleep deprivation differently – adults will just feel sleepy.”

A lack of proper sleep contributes to poor memory and performance issues such as sliding grades. It can also cause mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, it can trigger physical and metabolic issues such as cardiovascular dysfunction, high blood pressure, and obesity. The long-term effects can negatively influence their development into adulthood.

What can we do about it?

Dr. Wu says that only 2 to 4 percent of children have true sleep issues like sleep apnea or narcolepsy. Most of the time, it’s a matter of poor sleep hygiene. “I always promote a good sleep environment, and good sleep habits,” he says.

Developing positive sleep habits involves two crucial components:

1.     Environment – You need a quiet, dark bedroom and a good mattress. Dr. Wu says having a dark room at night, and a bright room in the morning help with the body’s circadian rhythm (our 24-hour internal clock that cycles between sleepiness and alertness).

2.     Time – Set up a consistent time to go to bed each evening (e.g. for teens, setting a bedtime of 10 p.m. if they need to get up at 7 a.m.)

One last step: Go offline at night

The Internet is full of sleep-related memes – commonly-shared photos with funny captions we can all relate to. Ironically, the Internet is part of the problem. “You should minimize exposure to electronic devices, especially cell phones and tablets – get rid of these at bedtime,” says Dr. Wu. “If you set up a good routine and remove electronic gadgets at night, kids can do very well.”