Do Your Kids Get Enough Sleep?

By Lorie Leitner & M. Lynn Willing

As adults, we value and need our sleep in order to perform at our best. For growing, active kids, sleep is just as important, if not more. Do your kids get enough sleep, or are your family’s sleeping patterns a little hectic?


Chiropractor:
“Getting enough sleep is important,” says mom, Kim*, of kids Kate (5) and Michael (7). “While about 8pm is typical, they don’t have a set bedtime. The weather is a factor, especially when the sun is out. I base bedtime on the kids’ behavior,” adds Kim. The family ends every day by reading I’m a Loveable Me, a book that focuses on affirmation, self esteem, self talk, and compassion. Kim is a chiropractic doctor, and her husband, Ryan*, is a school principal.

Minister:
“Sleep is so important for health and clear thinking,” says Laurie Allen. Laurie is a former teacher who tutors home-schooled students, and her husband, Greg, is lead pastor of the Crestwood Campus of Southeast Christian Church. They’ve raised three daughters ages 26, 24, and 17. Laurie would discourage sleepovers for her daughters because she placed a high priority on good sleep and wanted them to avoid any late-night situations of temptation. She would pick them up from the party late at night instead. Fortunately, she says, “They were never upset with me more than 24 hours.”

Doctor:
Pediatric doctor Greg Robson often reminds parents that adequate sleep is critical. “There is an under-appreciation for the significance of this,” he says. “Culturally we are pressed to do more, but the attitudes and behaviors parents struggle with in their kids can often be improved with fewer activities and adequate sleep.” Dr. Greg and his wife, Becca, are raising three kids — two sons, ages 14 and 11, and a daughter, 8. The Robsons’ two preteen children get about 10-11 hours, and their teen gets about nine. Key to the development of healthy sleep habits is the complete absence of screens — TVs, phones, tablets — in the bedroom, Dr. Robson says.

What does bedtime look like in your home? Do you believe in set bedtimes?

 

*Family requested last name be withheld.