Catching ZZZs at Night is Everyone’s Issue!
This is an issue that comes up at every age level, in every grade, preschool through 12th grade.
What is the number one reason for this sleeping in class issue?
Is this a nursing issue?
No.
Do you know how many school nurses query their peers about this issue every year?
It’s a lot.
Every year.
As a school nurse working onsite, I would first reach out to the parent and let them know their darling fell asleep in class.
Did they have a restless night?
Is there something going on that the school should know about?
What is your child’s typical bedtime routine?
Does the child have their own bedroom and bed? Sometimes that is simply impossible. We have had students living in a two-bedroom apartment. Parents in one room and four children sharing a mattress on the floor of the only other bedroom, and one of the children is a bedwetter.
Some sleep issues have a negative impact on sleep quality for the whole family.
How can we help?
What are the barriers that are impacting sleep quality and duration?
Social work may need to be involved to help sort out barriers affecting sleep quality and duration.
Our preschool have a large number of students that have a type of diagnosis that might lead to sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances that don’t just impact the child with the diagnosis but impact the whole family.
Once the reason has been established then we select the best person to address the issue.
With our kiddos it might be because they have been started on a medication that is affecting their sleep wake cycle, and it may be a matter of giving the body a chance to adjust to the meds.
I encourage the classroom to log when the child is falling asleep, how long he is sleeping, and keep the log for a week. At the end of the week, we make a copy and send home to the parent.
This allows the parent to take the information to the child’s doctor, especially if the adjustment period has come and gone and the child is still sleeping during the day.
Some of our kiddo’s it is a case of overcrowding in a flat, apartment or house, where there are multiple generations. Parents that are caring for young children and elders in the household can be pushed and pulled in multiple directions of need.
You might be surprised how much sleep children need.
Itty-bitty babies (0-3 months) need the most, logging in at 14-17 hours
Older babies (4-11 months) need 12-15 hours
Toddlers (1-2 years) are in need of 11-14 hours
Preschoolers (3–5-year-olds) are still in need of at least 10-13 hours (it is somewhat nap dependent—children that have given up naptime generally need more sleep at night)
School-age children (6-13 years) need at least 9 hours, and some may need up to 12 hours of sleep
Teenagers (14-17 years) this young people still need at least 8-10 hours, of course most of them want those hours from midnight or latter on…
Of course, your milage may vary. Every child is different and yours might fall below or above the range for age. Ultimately, parents know their children’s sleep needs the best. But if the child is falling asleep in school, they are not getting enough sleep at night.
What causes sleep disruption?
Some children simply do not get enough sleep at night.
They may resist going to bed.
They may have difficulty going to sleep.
They may have trouble falling back asleep once woken up for any reason.
What are more reasons your child is not getting enough sleep?
Stress and anxiety
Poor sleep habits
inconsistent schedules
use of electronics to late in day or evening
Uncomfortable sleep environment
too hot
too bright
too noisy
Consumption of stimulants
caffeine
nicotine
stimulant medications
Medical issues
pain
asthma
Sleep disorders
sleep apnea
insomnia
Busy schedules
Noisy neighbors or living in an unsafe neighborhood
What is the number one issue seen in older children according to middle school and high school nurses polled?
The use of electronics—this is not a nursing issue, so it is one to pass on to other professionals in the building.
Other issues to pass on are any that involve behavior and parenting issues.
Nurses address the medical issues only, and often it is a matter of identifying what category the child’s sleep disturbance falls in. Once determined it is not a nursing issue, pass it off either to other professionals in the building, the child’s parents.
If you do think it might be a medical issue, make a recommendation to parents to have their child seen by the child’s doctor.
It is an opportunity to discuss sleep “hygiene”—the healthy habits that enhance sleep quality and help determine when it is time for the parent to seek outside help.
Sleeping issues are not just a nursing issue, so, when a teacher tries to pass it off, get the whole team involved in figuring out the best path for seeking a solution.
Catching ZZZs at night is everyone’s issue, so ask for help instead of trying to solve it alone.
A human, not an AI text generator, wrote this essay.
I am not a doctor, neither do I play one on TV. This is an information only newsletter. For specific medical advice please see your primary care provider.
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Great work! Something else we have in common….nurses & Pediatrics is one of my specialties. So glad you are not allowing your vast knowledge to go unshared. Thank you!
Very informative Nancy 🙏