and mental growth of children. It’s the time when the body
heals and repairs, and crucial brain development occurs.
As the maximum brain development happens in early
childhood, young children need 11-13 hours of sleep per
day. As they grow older, children and adolescents still need
at least nine hours of sleep per day. Many studies have
proven that sleep improves memory, recall, concentration
and learning capabilities,” says Dr. Ranjini Raghavan,
senior consultant ENT surgeon and sleep specialist at the
Sunrise Hospital, Kakkanad (Kochi).
SLEEP DEFICIT CONSEQUENCES
The adverse consequences of children suffering prolonged
sleep deprivation are numerous. Among them:
Increased body fat and poor immunity. The
hormone leptin is secreted by the body’s fat cells during
sleep. Lack of adequate sleep reduces the time available
for the release of this hormone, prompting children to
crave high-fat and carbohydrate-rich foods. The body
also produces a protein — cytokines — which prevents
infections, illness and stress, as children sleep. Decreased
cytokines renders children vulnerable to viral and other
infections.
Obesity. Children and adolescents who get less than
recommended sleep for their age are also at higher risk
of developing obesity, says a 2018 study conducted by
researchers at the University of Warwick, UK. The findings
of the study indicate that sleep may be “an important
potentially modifiable risk factor (or marker) of future
obesity”.
“Every infant should have a specific amount of REM
(rapid eye movement) or deep sleep with dreaming and
bodily movement, faster pulse and breathing along with
non-REM sleep. An infant who doesn’t get enough of both,
tends to be cranky, making her ingest more milk, whether
through breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, to soothe herself.
This leads to obesity, even in infancy. Being overweight can
lead to cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes which is
also on the increase in children,” says Dr. Charu Kalra,
paediatrician and researcher at Warwick University.
Growth. Growth hormones are secreted mainly during
deep sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation can result in children
not attaning their full height potential.
Diabetes/cardiovascular diseases. Blood glucose
and cortisol levels which are linked to diabetes, obesity
and heart diseases, increase when children don’t get
enough sleep. According to the US-based National Sleep
Foundation, adolescents who don’t sleep well are at greater
risk of developing cardiovascular problems, indicate higher
cholesterol levels, higher body mass index, larger waist sizes,