A good night’s sleep can be the difference between night and day with children. Frequent lack of sleep can greatly impact a child’s physical, mental and social well-being. It's also hard on the entire family.

It's recommended that children between the ages of six and twelve get 10-11 hours of sleep each night. This allows them to be better rested for school, and to further their growth and development. The challenge with childhood sleep disorders is that they aren’t always easy to recognize. In fact, since the symptoms are so similar to other conditions (such as ADD and ADHD), sleep disorders often go misdiagnosed.

Mari Viola-Saltzman, DO, Sleep Medicine specialist, who sees both pediatric and adult patients, identifies some of the secondary effects childhood sleep disorders may have:

• Lack of focus in school work. This may lead to poor performance, impaired learning/memory and an inability to concentrate on academic tasks.
• Short temper and moodiness. Children may not “act like themselves” if they are not getting enough sleep. This can often be misidentified as a behavioral problem or depression.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness. Children with sleeping disorders often have a more difficult time sleeping through the night, which can lead to drowsiness during the day and also slower reaction times to daytime activities.
• Appetite and metabolic changes. Studies have indicated that sleep disorders in children may cause obesity, likely due to sleep deprivation affecting the part of the brain called the hypothalamus that regulates hormonal changes, metabolism, hunger and energy expenditures.

How many hours of sleep do your children get each night? Do they have a nightly routine?