I don’t know about you, but I really do need at least 7 hours of sleep a night and all the research shows that kids and teens actually need 8 or more. I know this can be challenging.
Kids are involved in after-school activities and may not get home till 6pm, 7pm or even later some nights. There’s dinner to fix and eat, homework to do, showers/baths to take and the kids all have
their own agenda, wanting time on the computer or to watch their favorite TV show…so now it’s maybe 9pm if you are lucky.
And of course you can’t make them go to sleep, no matter how much you nag. Long after you ‘tuck them in’ they may be reading under the covers, chatting back and forth with a sibling or texting a friend.
And do they stay asleep?? Many, many kids, teens and adults wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to go back to sleep.
Before you know it, it’s 5am, 6am or if you all are really lucky maybe 7am. But are you and the kids getting enough sleep??
New research is showing that, especially in teens, lack of sleep can lead to depression.
Actually, what I find most interesting is, at
least in my mind, the question really is, do mental health issues affect the ability to fall asleep and the quality of sleep. And do these underlying mental health issue then predisposes someone to sleep problems and potentially the resulting depression? I think there is more work to be done on researching the real issues.
Through our work with horses we often address anxiety and other issues that may be a cause of sleep problems. We work on relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and visualization, both of which can be used when someone is struggling to fall asleep.
If you or someone you know consistently misses out on a good nights sleep the results can be very serious. Seek help. We may be part of the solution. We would be happy to show you around, introduce you to our horses, learn more about your challenges and share how we may be able to help. Call or email to schedule a visit.