Sometimes we forget that Nature has as many “cures” as doctors, maybe more.
Case in point; sleep is medicine.
Lack of sleep really messes up learning. It messes up learning and behavior so badly that many parents, teachers, and unfortunately doctors call lack of sleep ADHD and treat it with stimulants. That doesn’t make sense to me!
Lack of oxygen is a problem for high altitude fight, so airlines add oxygen to the cabin. Likewise, lack of sleep should be treated with more sleep, not stimulants!
So, how do we get our kids and ourselves to sleep more? Start with plenty of exercise during the day, but not less than an hour before sleep. Both kids and adults should have at least one hour of exercise or play activity every day, preferably out of doors. End the day with quiet time; reading, conversation with family and friends, or a board game, followed by a light caffeine-free snack. Avoid TV for an hour before bedtime, as TV and computer screen light stimulates the wake center and delays sleep onset. Of course, it goes without saying there should be no naps for kids or adults after 4 PM.
Save the bedroom for sleeping and changing clothes; a bedroom is not a place for entertaining friends, rough-housing with brothers or dad, home work, watching TV, playing video games, texting or using a cell phone. These activities are important but should take place away from “sleeping quarters”, as we called it in the USAF. After bedtime all electronic gadgets should be in a home’s “common” area.
Equally im
portant is establishing regular times for going to bed and getting up. Kids should also have their own alarm clock and be responsible for setting the wake-up time and getting up without parent’s help. This should be accomplished as soon as a child understands time. Kindergarten or first grade seems ideal to me.
Make these changes and throw away the Ritalin. You’ll be surprised to find you have a wonderful, well rested, well behaved child, ready to learn by the end of a week and guess what will happen to his grades!
I have had more than 40 years of taking care of kids as a pediatrician, a parent, and a grandparent, and know this formula works. Try it, you’ll like it!