The Importance of Sleep Quality in Children’s Growth and Development | Dr. G.M.

1. The Crucial Role of Sleep Quality in Growing Kids' Physical, Cognitive, And Emotional Development While leading a packed life juggling between work, study and extracurricular activities, we often commit the blunder of ignoring our little one's profound needs. One such essential bodily function that gets ignored, especially in the digital age, is their sleep. A healthy body is indeed a balance of diet, physical activity and sleep quality. Especially in growing kids, their brains as well as bodies tend to undergo rapid changes, which is why it is very important for them to get adequate sleep. A well-rested body virtually supports adequate health, growth and even cognitive development. Let us have a closer look at the crucial role played by the sleep quality for growing kids' physical, cognitive and emotional development: Proper physical growth: ● One of the most visible advantages of adequate sleep in growing kids is on their physical growth. While asleep, the human body releases the maximum number of growth hormones, which are extremely important for tissue repair as well as overall growth. The specific hormone plays a key role in developing

2. strong muscles and bones. Quality sleep is also a boon for better immunity, which directly helps children fight off illnesses and fosters quick recovery. Cognitive functioning: ● The second big advantage of paying attention to the sleep quality in growing kids is that it helps in efficient cognitive functioning. It is a natural process that the human brain tends to process all the information, as well as learnings that were experienced throughout the day. So, it is clear that children who have a routine of quality sleep are more prone to solving their problems in a more confident manner. In fact, certain researches prove that children who are often sleep-deprived tend to struggle more with focus issues and memorising. All these can lead to poor academic performance while impacting the confidence level of the child. Mental and emotional well-being: ● Another very important reason that supports promoting quality sleep in children is to ensure adequate mental and emotional well-being. Some of the common issues in kids with lack of sleep are mood swings, irritability, and enhanced stress responses. If the situation remains the same for several years, it further turns into chronic diseases like depression and anxiety. Hence, by making sleep a priority, caregivers and parents can help their children develop a balanced emotional understanding. Behavioural outcomes: ● It won't be exaggerating to mention that behavioural issues and sleep quality are connected. You will often witness children who get less sleep than what is recommended are more prone to behavioural issues such as uncontrollability, hyperactivity, and challenges in following the given instructions. Key Takeaways! Sleep is one of the most important necessities when it comes to growth in children. Sleep quality has a direct impact on cognitive abilities, physical health, behaviour, and emotional stability. Hence, establishing healthy sleep habits can prove to be a huge

3. step in supporting children's overall development as well as well-being, which will indeed help to prepare them for optimal growth and development. If you would like to seek expert help for helping your child develop healthy sleep habits, get in touch with us. Empathy is the guiding principle for each one of us here at G.M. Hospital, and we do promise the highest standards of surgical care.