Snooze or Lose

[CHR]

Overstimulated, overscheduled kids are getting at least an hour’s less sleep than they need, a deficiency that, new research reveals, has the power to set their cognitive abilities back years.

Snooze or Lose - from New York Magazine

This lengthy article is mainly about kids - how they're sleeping less, how sleep loss impairs their learning skills and how lack of sleep contributes to weight gain.

A lot of alarms went off for me as I read it - not just for our daughter, but for my own decreased sleep (generally less than 6 hours per night).

The statistics are stunning - and scary. Time to sleep more.

 

[Victoria]

Keeping kids busy is important. Keeping kids too busy has many downsides... not the least of which is lack of sleep.

Alana was a busy kid, but she also enjoyed her down time. She filled it well, listening to music, reading, writing stories. I'm sure that why she travels so well and happily.

V

 

[lori042499]

I can speak about sleep deficiency first hand. It can do a number on your whole life. Back in 1995 I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I probably had this condition for amny years but it culminated at that time.

I first noticed that I would get drowsey while driving and stopped driving at night. I then noticed I would be groggy in the am and tend to sleep very late on weekends. Iknew this was not normal for me but ignored it. By the time I went to the doctor, I had serious digestion issues, kidney issues, memory issues, personality issues and sleeping issues.

Sleep is very important for the body and mind to repair from the day. Your brain, heart and organs depend on it to function properly. Without enough sleep you can damage your heart, kidneys, impair memories and cognitive function(almost like drinking all day long). getting behind the wheel of a car is as dangerous as if you have had 10 drinks or more in some cases. I had 3 car accidents in the months leading up to my diagnoses, all of them in the morning before work. i had been stopped 3 times on my way home and given a brethalizer test because the cop thought I was drunk.