The Danger of Lack of Sleep in Children

At 5 Little Monkeys, we've spent years designing a sleep system for kids from the ground up. We made the 5 Little Monkeys bed because we understand that kids' growing bodies have specific needs that can't be met by most children's mattresses on the market, and without a proper children's bed, kids won't get the high-quality, restful sleep they need. And that's important: because the effects of a lack of sleep on a kid go far beyond being drowsy during the day.

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Children

We all understand that anyone who didn't get their normal 8 hours of shuteye is likely to feel drowsy the next day. But when it comes to long-term sleep deprivation in children, the effects are far more serious than most people realize.

A recent study on sixth graders examined the effect of one lost hour of sleep each night over the course of 3 nights. It seems like a minuscule difference: after all, plenty of kids miss an hour of sleep most, if not all nights. But the results were telling: researchers found that even after just 3 nights, that one lost hour was enough to set cognitive abilities back by 2 years. Which is to say that even 3 nights of missing just one hour of sleep can leave a 6th grader performing in class like a 4th grader.

And that's only the impact of 3 nights of reduced sleep. When the sleep deprivation timeline is extended to the scale of years, many scientists believe it can have severe, lasting impacts on emotional and cognitive development, even into adulthood. Some researchers warn that chronic sleep deprivation can have a domino effect, robbing children of healthy development and leaving kids with issues like trouble focusing, mood disorders, and even obesity.

Give Your Child the Gift of Sleep

Looked at this way, many of the biggest problems affecting children today – attention disorders, anxiety and depression, weight management problems, and more – may actually be the symptoms of a chronically sleep-deprived generation. At 5 Little Monkeys, we're working to fight this problem by offering a sleep system designed specifically to give kids what they need for healthy, restful sleep. Our 5 Little Monkeys Bed is built from the ground up to support your child's sleep, leaving them healthier, happier, and better-rested. Give your child the gift of a better night's sleep: order the 5 Little Monkeys Sleep System today!