WHY PARENTS MATTER Part 3: SLEEP, FOCUS AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING

Sleep and Abilities to Maintain Focus

Many children are not getting enough quality sleep. Busy schedules and digital distractions are leading to later bedtimes, with bedtime routines missing the wind-down time that children need to prepare for sleep.

Research shows that insufficient sleep impairs children’s attention, memory, and self-control. These are important skills that make up executive functioning and promote cognitive development (abilities of processing information). (Frontiers in Sleep and NIH/PubMed)

During sleep, the brain brings together memories and “recharges.”  Think of the brain as sorting out and putting the day’s memories into different “memory folders.”

Without enough rest, the brain circuits in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for executive function, don’t operate properly. (researchild.org) As a result, a sleep-deprived child may struggle with concentration, impulse control, and decision-making at home and at school. (journals.plos.org) Another study found that children who regularly slept less than seven hours per night were far more likely to exhibit executive function problems in daily life. (researchild.org)

Sleep researchers stress that even brief disruptions of sleep can have measurable effects. For example, a study during the COVID-19 lockdown found that when young children experienced more frequent sleep interruptions, they showed a decline in “inhibitory control.” In other words, children were less able to control their actions, doing what first “comes to mind” without thinking of consequences of that action. (journals.plos.org)

Chronic lack of sleep in elementary and middle schoolers can sometimes mimic ADHD or learning disabilities. For example, children may have difficulty sitting still, staying on task or remembering instructions. Some children may simply be running on too little sleep, while others may also have ADHD or learning disabilities. If a child is being evaluated for attention or reading problems, it’s important to look at their sleep habits when considering possible causes for those behaviors.

Practical Ways to Create a Calming Bedtime Routine

A successful bedtime routine is one that is predictable and gives a child’s brain repeated signals that it is time to wind down and ready for sleep. It’s somewhat like a morning routine in reverse.

Effective routines keep sleeping and wake times the same and as often as possible. When children go to bed and wake at the same times their internal “body clock” becomes more regulated. It makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up. This is important for children who struggle to fall asleep and who might say “I’m not tired yet.”

1.   Use a simple order of steps.

Establish a routine that follows the same set of steps each night. For example: bathing, dressing for bed, brushing teeth, bath rooming, reading or listening to a story and lights out. The routine is a cue to the child, their body and brain, that sleep is approaching. Other benefits to the family are that the routines of “negotiating and stalling” of bedtime are ended—something good for everyone.

 2.   Use a picture chart of the routine.

A picture chart or simple checklist can be helpful for younger children. They can see “what comes next.” They can take an active role in pointing or moving a marker along the steps found on the chart. This will keep the focus on their readying for sleep. We all like structure.

3.    End screen time.

The key to bedtime routines is to reduce activities that overstimulate the brain interfering with preparation for sleep. Turning off televisions, tablets, and phones about 60 minutes before bedtime allows the brain to begin the necessary winding down. Replacing screen time with calming activities, such as drawing, looking at books or reading, helps create a routine that tells the brain and body to get ready for sleep.

 4.   Adjust the environment to signal things are “slowing down.”

Turning down the lights, closing the curtains, and keeping things quiet at home for 30 minutes or more before bed also helps the child’s brain and body to slow down. The creation of a calm setting is another messaging to the brain that time for sleep is approaching.

 5.    Use calming activities for “wound-up” bodies.

Children who still have lots of energy late in the evening may settle down with light physical movements before bed. Simple stretches, slow deep breaths, or a “squeeze and relax” game (tightening and then loosening muscles from their toes up to their face) can help their bodies shift from felling “wound-up” to “ready to rest.” This is good for parents, too.

 6.   Have reading be the final step.

Ending the routine with reading helps with better sleep. The act of reading or being read to can associate reading with a relaxed body and mind.  Having the child in a comfortable position, a soft chair, next to a parent, or simply in bed, helps make reading an enjoyable part of getting ready for sleep.

In summary, these practices, among others, support what research has shown. Regular, calming routines and a proper amount of sleep are closely tied to children’s ability to focus, remember what they learn, and manage their emotions and behaviors.

Read Part 4: Research on the effects of screen time on attention and learning.