(English translation available after the Chinese article)
 
先問你兩個問題：

你的孩子甚麼時候睡覺？
你的孩子每晚睡多久？

你有沒有想過，
世界各地的孩子睡覺時間差距很大？
孩子睡覺的習慣對孩子成長很重要？
 
世界各地孩子的睡覺時間
 
根據Sleep Medicine 期刊有關不同文化背景成長的嬰幼兒睡眠的研究（Cross-cultural differences in infant and toddler sleep），
訪問了近三萬名0至3歲嬰幼兒的家長，
這些家長來自不同國家，
包括歐美亞各地。
研究發現最早上牀睡覺的是新西蘭的嬰幼兒，
平均約晚上7時半睡覺，
香港的嬰幼兒是最晚睡覺的一群，
平均約晚上10時多才睡覺。

為何不同地方的孩子睡眠時間有這樣大的差距？
 
美國、澳紐等地的家長普遍認為，
孩子每晚應該在7至8時之間入睡，
才有充足的睡眠，
也應該有固定的睡眠時間。

可是香港的家長不少是雙職父母，
下班最早都要晚上7時回家，
回到家後跟孩子一起吃晚飯，
晚飯後檢查孩子的功課，
進行親子活動，
完成這些活動後，
也差不多9時多10時了，
這時候才讓孩子上牀睡覺。

有些父母更需要加班，
孩子希望等待父母回家，
結果很晚才睡覺。

此外，有些父母安排孩子每天下課後都參加興趣班或補習班。
課餘活動後，回家都差不多到晚飯時間。
吃過晚飯後才做功課，
有些學校功課量較重，
孩子需要花很長時間完成功課，
以致推遲了睡覺時間。

而社交活動也可能影響孩子的睡眠時間，
父母在周末周日帶孩子外出參加朋友聚會，
晚了回家，
自然推遲了孩子的睡眠時間。

孩子睡覺的習慣對孩子成長有多重要？
 
一般而言，遲睡的孩子因為第二天早上要早起上學，
睡眠時間較短，
亦有可能睡眠不足。

睡眠不足影響精神注意力
 
試想想我們成年人睡得不夠，
第二天腦部反應會減慢，
難以集中注意力，
工作效率減低。

孩子也是一樣。

如果第二天要早起上學，
孩子睡得不夠，
上堂時很有可能會打瞌睡，
聽不到老師的講課，
學習能力亦會降低。

睡眠不足影響情緒脾氣

大腦的「杏仁核」是產生負面情緒的部位，
而「前額葉」會控制杏仁核，
幫助我們在負面情緒出現時，
不會受情緒牽引，
仍能保持理性。

睡不夠的人「杏仁核」未必能如常運作，
一點小事就會牽動情緒起伏，
就很難控制情緒，
脾氣亦會較差。
舉個例說，當孩子很疲倦，
或是過度受刺激，
就很容易發脾氣。
這是因他們睡眠不足，
令杏仁核受壓過度。
在長大成人前，孩子的前額葉都未完全發展成熟，
因此當他們情緒高漲亢奮時，
他們的杏仁核很容易操控前額葉。

睡眠不足亦可能令孩子過重

Journal of Paediatrics 的一份研究指出，
相比早睡的孩子，
遲睡的孩子較高風險長大後過胖。

研究員追踪977個小孩由學前年齡直至成年的轉變，
記錄孩子4歲半時入睡的時間，
以及15歲時的身高、體重和身體質量指數(BMI)。

研究員發現學前年齡的孩子早於晚上8時入睡，
只有約10%會在青少年時期過胖。

晚上8至9時入睡的孩子，
則有約16%長大後過重。

晚上9時後入睡，23%會過胖。

睡眠不足，會影響控制胃口和新陳代謝的荷爾蒙，
導致胃口大增，新陳代謝減慢。
遲睡亦會令孩子在晚飯後感到肚餓，
養成吃宵夜的習慣，
以致體重增加。

睡眠對孩子的身心成長都很重要，
家長要好好考慮幫助孩子改善睡眠習慣呢！

資料來源：
睡眠不足容易導致負面情緒　「作夢」沖淡壞記憶
Cross-cultural differences in infant and toddler sleep
Cultural Differences in Baby and Toddler Sleep
How parents tackle bedtime around the world
Bedtime in Preschool-Aged Children and Risk for Adolescent Obesity

本文章所發表的全部內容均屬個人意見，並不代表Little Monkey之言論及立場

關於作者

思嘉是一個在職媽媽，兒子約四歲，很明白在職爸媽面對的挑戰，希望能透過文字，跟各位爸媽分享有關為人父母的課題，互相支持和勉勵。

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[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]

How important is a child’s sleeping schedule for their growth and development?

First, let us ask you two questions:

When does your child sleep?
How many hours a night does your child sleep?

Have you thought about the big difference between children’s sleeping schedules around the world? Is a child’s sleeping habit very important to their growth?

The Sleeping Schedule of Children Around the World

According to Sleep Medicine research, there are cross-cultural differences in infant and toddler sleep. Nearly 30,000 parents with children aged 0-3 years old from different countries were interviewed including parts of Europe, America, and Asia. The study found that New Zealand infants and toddlers were the earliest to go to bed at 7:30 pm on average, while Hong Kong infants and toddlers were the latest to go to bed at around 10 pm.

Why do children from different places have such a big difference in their bedtime?
 
According to parents in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, children who go to sleep between 7-8 pm get the needed amount of sleep and should have a set bedtime.

However, many parents in Hong Kong are both working and would usually get home at 7 pm. After having dinner, checking their children’s homework and spending some time together, it would usually be around 9 or 10 pm already and thus making this the child’s bedtime.

Some parents have to work overtime and when their kids want to wait for them, this causes their bedtime to be later.

In addition, some parents put their children in after school classes or extracurricular activities. After these activities, it is already dinner time when they return home. Once dinner is finished, then it’s homework time and since some homework takes longer to complete than others, this further delays the bedtime for the child.

Social activities may also affect a child’s bedtime on weekends as parents take their children to friend’s gathering and may return home late which in turn will naturally delay the child’s bedtime.

How important is a child’s bedtime to their growth?

Generally speaking, children who sleep late may not have enough rest as they have to wake up early the next day for school.

Not enough sleep will affect the ability to focus

When we do not get enough sleep, our brain will be slower and will be more difficult to focus and your work will be impacted.

Children are the same.

If they have to wake up early the next day for school, their sleep may not be enough and so during class they will be sleepy and not be able to focus on the teacher’s lesson and their learning ability will be reduced.

Not enough sleep will affect their emotion

The brain’s amygdala is the part that produces emotion while the frontal lobe controls the amygdala helping us to manage emotions and thus can remain rational.

Those who do not get enough sleep might not have a properly functioning amygdala such that little things can set off big emotions and result in a shorter temper. For example, you would often see a child throwing a tantrum when they are tired or over-stimulated. This is because their amygdala is overstressed when they do not get enough sleep. Besides, a child’s frontal lobe will not be fully developed until they are adult, hence when their emotional state is heightened, their amygdala could easily override their frontal lobe.

Not enough sleep can also cause a child to be overweight

The “Journal of Pediatrics” research pointed out that in comparison to a child who sleeps early, a child that sleeps late has the (remove ‘the’?) higher risk of being overweight when they grow up.

Researchers tracked 977 children from school age to adulthood and recorded 4 year old’s bed times until they were 15 years old along with their height and weight and body mass index (BMI).

Researcher found that preschool age children who slept earlier than 8 pm at night had about a 10% chance of becoming overweight during adolescence.

Those children who slept between 8 to pm would have a 16% chance of being overweight when they grew up.

Sleeping at 9 pm or later, they had a 23% of being overweight.

Lacking sleep will affect the hormones that control appetite and the metabolism thus increasing appetite and slowing metabolism. Sleeping late will make a child feel hungry after dinner, creating a habit of eating midnight snacking and causing weight gain.

Sleep is very important to a child’s growth so parents really need to consider changing their child’s sleeping habits.

Source：
睡眠不足容易導致負面情緒　「作夢」沖淡壞記憶
Cross-cultural differences in infant and toddler sleep
Cultural Differences in Baby and Toddler Sleep
How parents tackle bedtime around the world
Bedtime in Preschool-Aged Children and Risk for Adolescent Obesity

All the contents published in this article are personal opinions and do not represent the opinions and views of Little Monkey Hong Kong.

About the Author

Scarlett is a working mom with a 4-year-old son, who knows the challenges encountered by working parents. She would like to share some thoughts on parenthood that may serve as support and encouragement for moms and dads.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Scarlesson
Website：https://www.scarlesson.com/