Attention parents: Here’s why it is important to enforce bedtime rules

New research shows fixing a bedtime for children ensures they get sufficient sleep, which is essential for good health.

Parents who actively enforce bedtime rules for their children may help them get adequate sleep, an important determinant of health, new research shows.

Sleep is an important determinant of health, say researchers. (Shutterstock)

Lack of sleep in children is known to cause poor attention, worse grades, school absences, poor social interaction, irritability and crankiness, depression and increased risk-taking behaviour.

“Sleep is increasingly being recognised as an important determinant of health, and an integral component of healthy living for children, integrated with other behaviours such as physical activity and sedentary time,” said Heather Manson, chief (health promotion, chronic disease and injury prevention) at Public Health Ontario in Canada.

Lack of sleep in children is known to cause poor attention, worse grades, school absences, poor social interaction, irritability and crankiness, depression and increased risk-taking behaviour.

According to the researchers, the number of children meeting the guidelines increased between ages 5 and 9 years, but declined between 10 and 17 years.

“Parents enforcing a bedtime on the weekday could help support their child to achieve sufficient sleep,” Manson said.

For the study, published in the journal BMC Public Health, the team used self-reported data from over 1,600 parents with at least one child under the age of 18 years.

Around 94% of parents reported encouraging their child to go to bed at a specific time, and just over 84% reported enforcing bedtime rules. Parents who reported enforcing bedtime rules were 59% more likely to have their child meeting sleep guidelines on a weekday, the researchers said.

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