1. Good sleep helps your child to do well in school

Children who are tired cannot concentrate and focus well in school. A good night’s sleep may help your child’s grades improve.

2. Good sleep helps to improve your child’s behavior

Sleepy children may misbehave, have more emotional meltdowns, and be more easily irritated.

3. Good sleep helps to keep your child’s weight under control

Poor sleep contributes to obesity. Too many of the hormones that contribute to weight gain are released when you don’t sleep well. Also, lack of sleep provides more opportunities to snack!

4. Good sleep helps to keep your child’s chronic illnesses under control

Studies show that asthma, diabetes, seizures, and other chronic problems can worsen in children who do not sleep well.

5. Good sleep helps to promote your child’s growth and development

Growth hormones are released during sleep. A good night’s sleep helps your child to be more alert and able to learn new skills.

6. Poor sleep may look like ADHD or other behavior problems in children

Sleepy children may show signs of ADHD and have other behavior problems. Also, children with ADHD often have problems sleeping.

7. One child with poor sleep can be disruptive to the entire family

When one child does not sleep well, often parents do not sleep well. Other siblings in the home may also be affected by an overly active, noisy environment at night.

8. Poor sleep leads to missed days from work and school

Sleepy children have been shown to have increased tardiness to school and to miss more days from school. This affects the ability of parents to get to work and to be productive once there.

9. Poor sleep can cause dental problems in your child

Children who are mouth breathers or tooth grinders can develop problems with their teeth over time.

10. Good sleep is essential for your child’s health and well-being

A good night’s sleep is critical for the health of your child’s body, but also helps to promote feelings of wellness and good self-esteem.

Welcome to the new blog for Emerald Coast Pediatric Sleep Consultants! The purpose of this site is to inform parents, children, and health providers about healthy sleep and lifestyle habits that promote restful, restorative sleep.

At Emerald Coast Pediatric Sleep Consultants we believe that sleep impacts all aspects of a child’s health. Also, things in a child’s lifestyle directly impact their ability to sleep well. On this site there will be information about pediatric sleep disorders and methods to treat common sleeping problems in children. We will have articles about how to eat healthy, stress reduction, exercise, and relaxation techniques that can be used with the whole family.

My name is Sonia Smith. I am the owner and clinician at Emerald Coast Pediatric Sleep Consultants. I have been a pediatric nurse for 30 years and have been a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for 25 years. I have experience in primary care, pulmonology, emergency medicine, and neurology. I have been involved in the field of pediatric sleep medicine since 2010. I will receive my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in May, 2016. I will be blogging on topics related to sleep medicine and sleep training for children.

I am very proud to have several guest bloggers who are experts in their fields who have offered to share their wisdom with you. Lorie Ward is a Certified Health Coach and will be blogging on nutrition and exercise topics related to sleep. Her goals are to help people improve their lifestyle choices to possibly reduce their need for medicine. Her areas of interest include food-healing, growing and preparing organic foods, and fitness.

Bree Conklin is a certified psychotherapist who will share with you topics about managing anxiety, stress, and behavior. Finally, Mary Dawn McRae is certified in Applied Behavior Analysis – a specialized approach to the treatment of behavior problems in children. We are grateful for their time and expertise.

We encourage you to check out our other multimedia sites for additional information and timely tips about sleep. The web site is www.emeraldcoastsleep.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest as well! We look forward to helping to improve your child’s sleep!