Children Who Go To Bed Late: More Disorders?

This habit of sending children to bed early is not a thing of the past. It was passed down from generation to generation. Today, we still have a strong case for continuing to do so. Do children who go to bed late suffer from more disorders?

Child psychiatrist José Ferreira Belisario stated that in the past it was much easier for children to go to bed early. But over the years, this has become a much more complex task. The bad habit of going to bed later greatly affects the future of our little ones. It can lead to attention problems, anxiety and other disorders.

Can these habits be changed?

Yes, this is possible, as is the case with everything, but the family must make a very great effort. If you want to change your child’s habits, you have to change the habits of the whole family.

For example, if the child still hears noises in the house, if there are people watching television, lights and other appliances on, they will think it is still time to play and not sleep.

Some recommendations from José Ferreira to help your kids not go to bed late

• Go to bed all at once. Even if the parents don’t actually go to sleep, schedule a period of rest during which they appear to be sleeping.
• Read short stories before bed. It has been established that by getting children used to a time to read a story, they know that bedtime is approaching.

• Use yellow light in your home lighting. The doctor also recommends that the lighting in the house be given a yellow color. This color relaxes and it stimulates the onset of sleep.
• Do not interrupt the children’s sleep. At all costs, do not leave cell phones with the sound on near the child. This can disrupt the child’s sleep. There is always a late message that can wake the child up.
• Sports during the day also help children sleep. As a result, children become more tired and want to go to sleep earlier.

There are several conditions that can affect children

The doctor says that children should go to bed early because the growth hormone in the fourth stage of sleep does its job.

If children go to bed late, the growth hormone functions much less.

How was this outcome determined?

To determine the outcome of this study, we compared the brain image of a child who goes to sleep early with that of a child who goes to sleep late.

When conducting a mathematical examination, the first child had completed many more areas, the second child much less.

The study concluded that the child who slept less could remember less and solve fewer problems.

Children who go to bed late can also suffer from Alzheimer’s disease later on

In addition, the doctor added that children who go to bed early are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s later, while children who go to bed late are more susceptible. This is because this disease is delayed with sleep and exercise.

It is important that parents develop strategies for their children to fall asleep early to avoid their future being potentially shortened by certain sleep-related disorders.

Technology prevents children from going to bed early

Doctor Belén Esparis has a nighttime ritual where her children put all their electronic devices in a basket on the floor before going to sleep.

Esparis said her children used a tablet under the sheets more than once. “I almost had to remove the door to my son’s room,” laughed the medical director of the Mount Sinai Medical Center Center for Sleep Disorders in Coral Gables.

According to a study, the blue screen on phones has a lasting effect and prevents sleeping. “Using these devices before going to bed is already known to reduce sleep between 17 and 45 minutes per night,” says Dr. Leonardo Torres, professor of ENT at the University of Miami Health System.

A study by Torres found that just two hours with an electronic device reduces melatonin by 20%. This is a substance produced by the body and needed for sleep.

Both agree that it is important to implement strategies so that children do not use technology before going to bed and thus rest when needed.