Don Shifrin MD FAAP
Clinical
Professor Pediatrics
University of Washington School of Medicine
Twitter:
@peddoc07
From
toddler to teen there aren't many mothers who don't answer the question,
"Is your child getting to bed on time and getting enough sleep?" with
a horrified look and a resounding "Are you kidding?"
From
separation anxiety for parents at 18 months to separation anxiety up to 18
years about their electronic devices, children’s, tweens’, and teens’ sleep
debt rivals our national debt. What can be done?
Well,
first - you gotta ask. So ask (and I often do ask teens and tweens
directly, not just their parents) in a neutral voice, what could possibly
be keeping them up that late? For children and middle schoolers it is often
screens. I admit that high schoolers with school, activities, athletics,
and homework often have only 3-4 hours during the day to get 'everything' done.
(Not very efficient however if they are multi-tasking with social media,
YouTube , Spotify, texting). That said, they still need as much sleep as they
can (and do) allocate.
Then ask,
especially about teens, when do they go to bed in the summer (generally late)
and when do they wake up (usually later)? This delayed sleep phase in
summer is normal, but is a huge detriment once school starts. But it will
tell you unequivocally how much sleep their bodies desire to get if left alone without an
alarm to wake them. Now translate that to the fall and school. There is no way
you can guarantee them the 9-10+ hours they are probably getting in summer, and
definitely should need during school.
That means
that every minute of sleep they are losing is vital, because they are already,
by definition, incurring a sleep debt Monday-Friday. Then, and only then, can
you state that when they take their devices to bed, next to the bed, or cease
using them right before bed, their brains will not be sleepy for 15-30 minutes
at a minimum. And they need every one of those precious minutes for
rejuvenation for school attention, focus, homework, and athletics.
Parents
now are paying rapt attention as they have, by their own admission, been
pleading with their kids to cease and desist taking their devices to bed.
I make the point that their bed is a sacred place where it is OK, and a must,
to disconnect. You will get pushback and the usual denials. As well as the
dreaded FOMO (fear of missing out). But the time you can put in clinically to
alleviate this habit is well worth the effort to try to insure them at least 8
hours of uninterrupted sleep. And the moms will love you for it!
Oh, and be
sure to follow up at the next visit.
