I see a lot of kids with ADHD...

...at my work.  One of the first things I ask about is sleep.   I've done so much research about sleep that I feel something akin to fundamentalist Christians--dying to get the word out.  Most parents do not realize the role of sleep in behavioral health problems and learning disabilities.  If I get a kid in my office who is bouncing off the walls and yet is taking stimulant medication for ADHD, I know a sleep disturbance could be lurking.

I had a dad in my office two weeks ago who was presenting depressive symptoms and I (as always) asked about sleep.  He told me he sleeps about 4-6 hours a night.  I asked how long that had been going on and he said as long as he could remember.  He said, with some amount of pride, he didn't need to sleep as much as others.  I begged to differ and listed all the ways in which he was functioning poorly (unemployed, hx of relationship problems, multiple health problems, chronic depression and hospitalizations, etc.).  Because of a lack of appreciation for the body's need for sleep, he was not concerned about his 6 year old only getting about eight hours a night (he needs 3-4 more  hours than that). The child was a mess.  Presenting all sorts of scary symptoms.  The dad wanted a psychiatric eval so his kid could get meds. Now,  I am not a hand-holding therapist with parents.  Sometimes the situation calls for that but for the most part, mental health problems in very young children are typically related to the parenting (not always!!!!!) but typically.  And I can narrow that further and say parenting related to diet and sleep.  I tell parents, "You wouldn't deprive your child of food, so why do you deprive them of sleep?  It's just as important."

Anyone who knows me knows how much of a big deal I've made sleep for my kids.  It is not convenient to be home-bound for naps or for early bedtimes, believe me.  But the work I did researching sleep back when Henry was a baby and such a terrible sleeper, scared me enough to make it a parenting responsibility on par with feeding, exercising, educating and hugging and kissing my children.

So love and feed your kids.  Sleep your kids, too.

Anyway, here's what led me to post this--now back to the usual programming.

Chervin's work isn't the only research to indicate that early sleep disturbances are related to long-term psychological problems.

Researchers have determined that a preschool boy with sleep problems is more than twice as likely to use alcohol and drugs and to smoke by the age of 14. He's more likely to be a bully in middle school and more depressed during high school. And he's also more likely suffer from anxiety in his 20s.