Feeling Like You Can't Keep Up?

Written By: Zachary Britt

9/27/21

I Feel More Tired Than My Peers You're not the only ones. A recent study by Boiron SleepCalm shows that in the 2000 parents studied, 86% of parents have found that recent changes in schooling, as well as potential changes in working conditions have left their sleep patterns disturbed. It doesn't stop at the parents either. In another article released by the CDC earlier this week, parents from a study conducted 2016-2018 reported that approximately one third of children are not getting adequate sleep either. This understandably leads to irritation, foggy thinking, worsening short term memory, as well as increased tension within the household. Let's face it, not getting the sleep you need leads to a lot mountains that probably could have remained molehills. Of course it is harder to maintain healthy habits throughout tumultuous times. As cited in the Boiron SleepCalm study, a large number of sleep deprived parents are blaming it on the pandemic, and the lifestyle changes many have had to make in order to adapt. However, the other study from the CDC shows us that this has been a problem Mom's and Dad's have faced since long before the word "Covid" was worked into our vernacular. So How Much Sleep Do I Need? Well, according to Healthline, adults aged between 18-64 need to be getting at least 7 hours

of sleep every night, with 9 hours being more preferable. Children aged 6-13 years are old are recommended at least 9 hours a night, with 11 being preferable. The younger your child is, generally the more sleep they need, with newborns being recommended up to 14 hours of sleep every day. Where Do I Start? Just like how your child's good habits start with yours, your preferable sleep schedule starts with them. Getting your child on track to have a healthy sleeping pattern will give Mom's and Dad's the free time they need to finish up their night, and allows them to be in control of when they decide to reunite with their sweet sweet mattress. Children with parents who enforce rules surrounding bed time get an average of 1.1 more hours of sleep when compared to children whose parents are a bit less enforcing of their late night hours. Specifically, rules surrounding how late a child can consume caffeinated beverages and how late a child must get away from the screens and the blue light they produce show the most results. Once the little ones are tucked away, experts believe that limiting cell phone usage to only outside of the bedroom, as well as disconnecting from those precious screens help us just as much. There are also many natural remedies to assist the average parent with their slumber struggles such as melatonin, various herbal teas, white noise machines and certain mood lighting. As always, if your loss of sleep is impacting you beyond your control, and particularly if none of the above methods have worked for you, consider consulting a physician. Remember parents: Sweet dreams lead to sweeter days! Sources: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/teens-and-sleep/infographic-sleep-modern-family https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7038a1.htm?s_cid=mm7038a1_x https://heraldcourier.com/lifestyles/parenting/study-american-parents-are-exhausted-and-not-getting-enough-sleep/video_1c9ad2a2-9560-5239-9d5f-a07d6e276916.html