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We all know that sleep is important for our kids. So important, in fact, that a simple thing like what time school starts in the morning can affect levels of happiness, depression, illness, even suicide. It’s time for a change. The American Academy of Pediatrics just endorsed new Sleep Guidelines published last week by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (Attached). Because these guidelines are brand new (April 13, 2017) and supported by two speciality societies, I believe this is the strongest paper to start with about the scope of the problem. Among other things, the guidelines say: “Sleeping the number of recommended hours on a regular basis is associated with better health outcomes including: improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, quality of life, and mental and physical health.” “Regularly sleeping fewer than the number of recommended hours is associated with attention, behavior, and learning problems. Insufficient sleep also increases the risk of accidents, injuries, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and depression. Insufficient sleep in teenagers is associated with increased risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts.” The Current Situation Today’s high school students are asked to perform at more demanding levels than ever before to prove themselves to college admissions boards. In this race to the top, they are expected to excel in all course work, take college level AP courses, hav...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs