Many of us know that we (and our children and teens!) feel better after we get a “good night’s sleep,” and are more foggy or grumpy when we don’t. And it’s no wonder because sleep is an essential building block of holistic health and wellbeing for people of all ages. 

Sleep is when our brains store new information from the day and get rid of unnecessary information. While we sleep, our nerve cells reorganize and support healthy brain function. Sleep is also the time when the body repairs, restores and releases necessary hormones and proteins for good physical and emotional health. All of this makes sleep a crucial driver in mental health for children and teens. 

Let’s explore why good sleep is so essential for children’s mental health, and what parents can do to help.

The Connection Between Sleep and Children’s Mental Health

Sleep and mental health have a reciprocal relationship. It’s a two-way street — the amount and quality of sleep we get affects our mental health, and vice versa. When we’re dealing with anxiety, depression or other mental health challenges, it can become harder to get the required amount of sleep. Conversely, when we’re not getting high-quality sleep, it can contribute to worsening mental health.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a negative feedback loop, you know the feeling. Experiencing stress and worry can drive declining mental health, which drives poor sleep and poor sleep can drive declining mental health, which drives stress and worry! Children and teens can experience this cycle too. 

While sleep is important for everyone, it is especially important for children and adolescents, who are undergoing a significant amount of growth and development that requires good sleep.

The CDC recommends the following recommended daily sleep for children of different ages:

• 0-3 Months (Newborn): 14 to 17 hours including naps
• 4-12 Months (Infant): 12 to 16 hours including naps 
• 1-2 Years (Toddler): 11 to 14 hours including naps
• 3-5 Years (Preschool): 10 to 13 hours including naps
• 6-12 Years (School Age): 9 to 12 hours
• 13-17 (Teen): 8 to 10 hours

Children’s sleep is directly linked with healthy brain development. A 2022 study on children’s sleep discovered that children between the ages of 9 and 10 who got less than the minimum recommended nine hours of sleep experienced greater mental health and behavioral challenges.

Consequences for children without adequate sleep as observed by this study included:

• Impulsivity and poor inhibition control
• Increased stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Aggressive behavior
• Cognitive issues, including poor attention or difficulty thinking

According to data from the 2016-2019 National Survey of Children’s Health, 34.7% of children in the United States do not get adequate sleep, putting them at increased risk of various mental health difficulties. This figure is higher for young people with adverse childhood experiences (44.1%) and various family factors like an inconsistent bedtime (57.3%). 

Keep in mind that children are resilient. A few rough nights of sleep won’t have a long-term impact! But when sleep issues become the norm and not the exception, it’s time to seek support.

How to Help Your Child Get Better Sleep

If a child in your care struggles to get the proper amount of sleep for their age, there are things you can do to help them establish a healthy sleep routine and start giving their bodies the rest and rejuvenation they need:

1. Have a Consistent Bedtime Routine

A bedtime routine helps signal to your child’s brain that it’s time to sleep, and can help minimize the stress and anxiety that contributes to poor sleep. Your child’s bedtime routine may include:

• Taking a bath or shower
• Changing into pajamas and performing pre-bedtime hygiene like brushing teeth
• Singing a song or saying a bedtime prayer
• Reading a soothing book
• Tucking in with a favorite blanket or stuffed animal

2. Minimize Screen Exposure

Children (and adults!) should avoid using devices with blue light technology for at least an hour before bedtime. This includes phones, tablets, TVs and computers. Blue light disrupts sleep and can make it more difficult for the body to relax and enter deep sleep. Additionally, the bedroom, or at least the bed itself, should remain a screen-free zone. Which will help your child associate their bed with sleep and not play.

“Sleep is one of the most effective tools we can use to reset and relax our brain and body.” – Brittany Broeckelman, VP of Clinical Services

That said, eliminating screens entirely is no small feat, especially for teens who have been connected all day! A gradual approach to minimizing screen exposure can help. Another effective strategy is trying different ways of relaxing, like reading a book, listening to music or doing other activities. It’s easier to power screens down when a relaxing alternative awaits.

3. Eat a Healthy Diet

A well-balanced diet can help improve sleep by providing your child’s body with the nutrients and sleep-promoting chemicals it needs for proper rest. Incorporating pro-sleep foods like vegetables, proteins and healthy carbohydrates into your child’s everyday diet will help promote sleep. Minimizing sugar and caffeine, especially in the hours leading up to bedtime, can help, as those can keep children awake. 

4. Promote Mental Wellness

If a child or teen is feeling stressed or anxious, they will likely find it difficult to wind down and fall asleep at night. This is where helping your child care for their mental wellbeing is essential! Just as poor sleep impacts mental health, so poor mental health impacts sleep.

Here are some ways to encourage mental wellness for your child:

• Encourage social connections
• Engage in physical activity
• Build a Mental Health Toolkit
• Try meditation or other mindfulness techniques
• Prioritize self-care
• Limit screen time

5. Set a Good Example!

In addition to encouraging children to implement these strategies for better sleep, parents and caregivers can make a big difference by modeling good wellness behaviors for their children! Your own mental health is just as important as the mental health of the children in your care. For example, following your own bedtime routine can show children that it’s important to prioritize rest.

Common Sleep Disorders and How Caregivers Can Help

If your child or teen seems to be struggling with sleep or unusually resistant to sleep, they may be struggling with a sleep disorder.

Common disorders impacting sleep that may be experienced by children include:

• Childhood Insomnia: Usually characterized by difficulty sleeping without a parent or comfort object
• Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome: Inability to fall asleep for two or more hours past normal bedtime, occurring in late childhood or early adolescence
• Hypersomnia: Excessive daytime sleepiness, which could lead to narcolepsy
• Parasomnias: Sleepwalking, night terrors, vivid nightmares or waking up frightened in the middle of the night
• Movement Disorders: Neurological conditions like restless legs syndrome that interfere with sleep
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Disruption of breathing during sleep, usually caused by enlarged tonsils or adenoids. This is also common for children with structural problems on the face or head, like a cleft lip and palate.
• Behavioral and Mental Health Disorders: Insomnia is a common symptom of many behavioral and mental health disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and autism spectrum disorder.

If you suspect your child is struggling with one or more of the above disorders impacting sleep, talk to your child’s doctor or pediatrician about options for treatment and management.

How Camber Can Help

As the leading regional provider of children’s mental health services with nonprofit hospitals and residential treatment centers in Kansas City, Wichita and Hays, our team at Camber is expertly trained to help children and families identify and navigate all manner of mental health difficulties, including those that could be negatively impacting sleep.

We support adolescents and youth experiencing a variety of mental health conditions. Is your child or teen in need of intensive and compassionate mental healthcare, we’re here to help! Learn about admission to one of our residential treatment programs here.