Sleep Series - ”Sleep Is When The Magic Happens”

Sleep Series – ”Sleep Is When The Magic Happens”

Why is Sleep Important for Our Sporty Kids?

• New Evidence: Recent studies link injuries to children (10-18 years old) who report difficulty falling asleep, waking throughout the night, and significant daytime sleepiness.
• Statistics: 30-50% of children sleep less than the recommended amount.
• Weekend Sleep: is vital for our sporty kids’ recovery. Weekend sleep is linked to injuries in sports clubs and on the playground the following week.
• Gender Differences: Lack of sleep could be worse for boys than girls in terms of injury risk.
• Overall Impact: Sleep duration is the most important aspect of sleep health.
• Impact of Sleep Deprivation:
• Physical and Mental Health: Injuries in children impact both mental and physical health and have financial implications due to treatment and rehab costs.

How and Why Does Sleep Affect Children?

• Why?
  • Later Activities: Clubs and sporting activities run later as children get older.
  • Demands of Sports and Exams: These keep children up later, engaging in cognitive tasks.
  • Blue Light Exposure: The link between phones and gaming is not quite understood but it’s naive to think there isn’t a role to play here.
  • Growth Spurts: For some children these can significantly disturb sleep.
• How?
  • Impact on Bedtime: Later activities and gaming reduce sleep time.
  • Growth Spurts: Affect balance and coordination, leading to a greater risk of injury.
  • Mental Health: Stress, anxiety, and mood have well-researched impact on sleep.

Understanding Our Kids:

• Kids are not just mini adults. It’s just a case of biology. Sleep is vital for our young people.
• Young people have a VERY BUSY brain, from processing their learning in the classroom and on the sports field to storing that information into their long term memory.

Recognising Hidden Stress Factors:

• Exams, Start of Term, Sporting Competitions, Problems at Home: All these can contribute to sleep issues.

What Can We Do:

• Sleep Apps: Use sleep apps, make it a normal aid to use. I work in the Premier Football League and know many academics who encourage their young footballers to use these from a young age. 
• Professional Advice: Recognise when there is a
  REAL problem and seek GP or medical professional advice.

Tips For Helping:

• Mitigating Pushback: Use the word ‘performance’ to motivate sports-mad children. Linking sleep to being their best can make it more appealing.
• Building Good Sleep Habits: Implement good sleep practices early and help children develop these skills.
• Allow Lay-Ins: Let them sleep in when they can.

A really good book for more information is: How To Grow A Grown Up written by Dr Dominique Thompson and Fabienne Vailes. She also uses the term we’ve used to title this blog “Sleep is when the magic happens”