Sleep: Is It Worth The Battle?

We all know that how we sleep affects how we feel, how we look, and how we function each and every day. We know because we’ve had plenty of tough days that began when we woke up feeling more tired than when we went to bed. But, we also know that when our kids get good sleep, they’re more ready to tackle daily activities with clarity and impulse control and they’re set up to operate at their full potential.

That’s because when a child receives the right amount of sleep their internal systems restore and renew. Their brains get busy directing things like tissue growth, muscle repair, and hormone release. Energy is restored and the important “need for sleep” mechanism is reset telling them they’re good to go.

So we know we need to sleep good, but very often we don’t. Throw ADHD into the mix and a good night’s sleep might seem like just an impossible pipe dream.

For a kid, sometimes ADHD causes sleep issues. Sometimes trouble sleeping can make their ADHD worse. And, sometimes poor sleep has nothing to do with ADHD, but is the result of another condition.

Confused? You’re not alone!

The good news is that researchers are discovering that in some kids, getting sleep issues under control is enough to drastically reduce and even eliminate ADHD symptoms in some children. That makes it all the more important to use Esteem to make sure sleep happens.

At Esteem, we believe in the science and the evidence that says sleep is one of the most important things a parent can help their child achieve. We also want everyone in your family to sleep good! That’s why we’ve created this series on sleep to provide you with guidance and tools that will help you and your kid get a good night’s sleep.

The Nightmare of Little, Poor, or No Sleep

We don’t need the experts to tell us that sleep deprivation can make kids moody, emotionally unstable, and even aggressive. But studies have shown that to be true. In addition, it has been found that without good sleep, focus decreases and hyperactivity increases, both of which lead to problems in daily functioning, underdeveloped life skills, and ongoing academic struggles. It’s frustrating for parents and kids

Why is it so Hard to Sleep?

If you’re like most parents, you probably struggle getting your kid to sleep and keeping them asleep long enough for the magic of restorative sleep to happen. Experts have narrowed it down to four factors that make getting to sleep so challenging for a child with ADHD. Too much caffeine, chocolate or sugar clearly play a role—pretty easy to address—but so can co-existing conditions like anxiety or depression—less easy to address. Stimulant medications that are prescribed to many kids can impact sleep, but sometimes kids just can’t settle down because their brains won’t let them relax.

So how can you help your child get to sleep, stay asleep, and sleep good? Esteem is here to help you get to the bottom of those important sleep questions and find a way to end the nightmare of little, poor, or no sleep.

So take heart. Your dream of a good night’s sleep can come true for your kid and for you.

Login to your Esteem account to check in on how your child is doing here: esteemthrive.com/login

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Sources:

KidsHealth. (2015, September). What to do if you can’t sleep. Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/cant-sleep.html.

National Sleep Foundation. What happens when you sleep? Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/what-happens-when-you-sleep.

Aarhus University. Science Daily (2016, May 4). Children with ADHD sleep both poorly and less.

Tuck. (2018, December 19). Stages of sleep and sleep cycles. Retrieved from https://www.tuck.com/stages/.