Kids with regular bed times are better behaved

It seems entirely logical that you should put your kids to bed at the same time—yet accomplishing consistency isn’t easy. Homework, a gripping book, grandma’s birthday, dinners with friends, building a California Mission with toothpicks—countless things get in the way of a regular bed hour.

A new study reveals that parents need to tell their kids to pack away their homework, put down that book and stop building with those toothpicks—and turn the lights out at the same time every night.

Researchers at the University of London found that children with steady bedtimes are less likely to misbehave—in other words, well-rested kids are sitting quietly on the carpet in kindergarten. Children with inconsistent bedtimes are more likely to have behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, problems with peers and emotional difficulties. These children suffer from sleep deprivation and act similarly to someone suffering from jet lag—anyone who has flown to and from Hong Kong knows this isn’t a pretty sight.

Those kids who go for long periods without a regular bedtime can suffer from long-term impacts. The disruptions to their normal body rhythms interfere with their brain development and impacts their ability to behave well, according to the London Guardian.

The Guardian reports:

The data was collected via the UK Millennium Cohort Study, with bedtimes noted at ages three, five and seven, and information on behaviour collected from parents and teachers. Three-year-olds were the most likely to have erratic bedtimes, with one in five children going to bed at varying times. But by age seven, more than half of children went to bed regularly between 7.30pm and 8.30pm.

Children who had changeable bedtimes between the ages of three and five displayed better behaviour by age seven if their bedtimes had become more regular. If erratic bedtimes were not tackled, however, parents could expect their child’s behaviour to progressively deteriorate.

The good news: The effects of sleep deprivation are reversible. Start putting your kid to bed on time tonight and you just might start to notice some behavior changes.

© 2013 The Hearst Corporation

http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2013/10/14/study-kids-with-regular-bed-times-are-better-behaved/