As we celebrate children’s day let’s deliberate on their sleep – Part I

Nigerian children’s matters are usually given special attention annually on May 27, Children’s Day. As we mark Children’s Day 2023, we should pay some attention to their sleep habit so that they are not left out in the campaign for good sleep which offers us ample time for the multiple complex processes of the body’s recovery and regeneration for overall health and well-being.  Sleep is an essential building block for your child’s mental and physical health. Kids need a lot of sleep because of their growing body sizes and developing brain activities, ranging from 14–17 hours for infants (0–3 months) to 8–10 hours a night for teenagers. Yet they are usually distracted from the much-needed sleep by their activities and that of the adults around them. If you have some challenges with your child’s sleep pattern and habit, you are not alone and there is much hope for the way out of the problem. Understanding their sleep needs and factors that affect their sleep are the first steps towards providing better sleep for your children. Through a combination of good children’s sleep hygiene, age-appropriate routines, and close attention to any sleep disorders, you can help the children get the adequate regenerative sleep period they need to have sound mental health and to grow up strong and healthy. This we should pursue because the lack of shut-eye in children can cause a range of abnormalities in their lives and well-being such as weight management, intellectual functioning, mental health and even behaviour.

 Children are interestingly peculiar in all aspects of their life. Please, children are not small adults, but younger and smaller human beings! Little wonder that when it comes to sleep matters, they do not need smaller quantities of sleep despite the fact that they have smaller body sizes. Just as adults, they experience the effects of biological and chemical reactions within them. Beyond their control which is poorly developed, the children are exposed to the consequences of both actions done and not done by the adults existing along with them. The average kid has a busy day. If they are not settled in a spot stock with tossing their toys, they would be running around with friends combined with bumping into each other and falling randomly. There are also school activities, sports or other activities, and homework. Many children are even overscheduled by the allotment of time for the children’s demands which is done by their adult relatives or caregivers. They stay up too late finishing the day’s activities and get up early for school. In addition to the obvious lack of time for sleep from the inevitable schedule of activities, the children’s underdeveloped mannerisms still eat up further the sleep time. While some kids feel offended and cry when sleep strikes to ensure their natural rest, others with little or no self-control get glued at bedtime to activities that can murder sleep like gadgets abuse.

As we face the provoking situation of our children’s inadequate sleep which can sometimes be very frustrating in trying to get them to accept and enjoy sleep, let me share the target age-graded sleep needs so that we can put in proper perspectives, the weight of the need, the extent of lack and the trying nature of the solution. The amount of sleep a child needs varies depending mainly on the child’s age.

A children’s specialist doctor said, “While every child is different, experts recommend:

It might look overwhelming but I assure you that there are doable steps on how to improve our children’s sleep to hit these target sleep times. In my next article, we would deliberate more on that along with also the practical reasons why we should strive for our children’s good sleep.

Let us remember that when you sleep, where you sleep and how you sleep affect your mental health, physical well-being and living a healthy life. We all need quality sleep to be set for productivity in our endeavours.

Do you need further information on the above subject? Are you looking for ways to maintain quality sleep for general well-being and healthy living? Remember, a doctor is an appropriate person to offer relevant advice for the maintenance of quality sleep and solution to sleep difficulties. Do you want to contact the Orthopaedic Sleep Consultant, Dr Charles Uzodimma, kindly send your request tosleepinfo@vitafoam.com.ng OR Whatsapp 08129982143.

Vitafoam Nigeria Plc is the first foam manufacturing company in Nigeria to partner with a sleep expert to educate Nigerians on quality sleep for healthy living. The proudly Nigerian company is truly passionate about sleep and general well-being, and continues to consistently provide Nigerians with quality products that offer great comfort.

To learn more about Vitafoam, please visit www.vitafoamng.com