Adequate Sleep - Children in Iowa

Iowa

Sleep is critical for basic bodily functions such as cognitive processing, mood regulation, regular blood sugar level and immune system response. Sleep heals the body, repairs blood vessels and regenerates cells. In children, adequate sleep can help prevent poor mental health, attention problems, injuries, obesity and Type 2 diabetes. For years, it was believed that people needed less sleep as they developed from infancy to adulthood; however, recent research shows that teenagers need more sleep than they did as children or will as adults. Despite this understanding, school start times often do not align with adolescent sleep needs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children ages 6-12 years should aim for 9-12 hours of sleep per day and children ages 13-18 years should aim for 8-10 hours. Alarmingly, 72% of adolescents in the United States consistently sleep less than eight hours per night and only 6.6% of adolescents get the recommended nine hours of sleep per night. For adolescents, not getting adequate sleep is associated with higher rates of: 

• Psychiatric disorders and poor mental health.
• Poor academic performance.
• Unsafe behaviors such as risky driving, alcohol use and self-harm.

According to America's Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of adequate sleep among children ages 4 months to 17 years is higher among:

• White children compared with children of all other racial and ethnic groups. 
• Children with a caregiver who graduated from college compared with children whose caregivers have lower levels of educational attainment.
• Children without special health care needs compared with children with special health care needs.

Additional research has found a higher prevalence of adequate sleep among: 

• Children from higher-income households compared with children from lower-income households. 
• Children without adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) compared with children with one or more ACEs.

Despite maintaining healthy sleep practices, some adolescents may still struggle to get enough restful sleep. It is important to discuss any sleep concerns with your primary care provider, as many teenagers suffer from sleep disorders such as chronic insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. If left untreated, these conditions can significantly affect overall well-being. 

Inadequate sleep greatly affects academic success. The American Academy of Pediatrics urges school districts to delay start times to help students achieve adequate sleep every night. Strong evidence indicates that delaying school start times increases average sleep duration, reduces fatigue and improves academic performance among students.

Healthy People 2030 has an objective to increase the proportion of children who get sufficient sleep.

Au, Rhoda, Mary Carskadon, Richard Millman, Amy Wolfson, Paula K. Braverman, William P. Adelman, Cora C. Breuner, et al. “School Start Times for Adolescents.” Pediatrics 134, no. 3 (September 1, 2014): 642–49. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1697.

Uccella, Sara, Ramona Cordani, Federico Salfi, Maurizio Gorgoni, Serena Scarpelli, Angelo Gemignani, Pierre Alexis Geoffroy, et al. “Sleep Deprivation and Insomnia in Adolescence: Implications for Mental Health.” Brain Sciences 13, no. 4 (March 28, 2023): 569. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13040569.

Weaver, Matthew D., Laura K. Barger, Susan Kohl Malone, Lori S. Anderson, and Elizabeth B. Klerman. “Dose-Dependent Associations Between Sleep Duration and Unsafe Behaviors Among US High School Students.” JAMA Pediatrics 172, no. 12 (December 1, 2018): 1187. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2777.

Wheaton, Anne G., Sherry Everett Jones, Adina C. Cooper, and Janet B. Croft. “Short Sleep Duration Among Middle School and High School Students — United States, 2015.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 67, no. 3 (January 26, 2018): 85–90.https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6703a1.