I am in the middle of a book entitled, Nurture Shock by Po Bryson and Ashley Merryman . In this book there is a chapter on the implications of losing as little as one hour of sleep a night. Let me know what you think about this topic. Very Interesting!

The Problem

Children today are averaging an hour less sleep a night than children 30 years ago.

The Effect

Sleep studies performed on children are revealing that a single lost hour of sleep a night can:

 reduce academic performance
 effect students weight
 lead to permanent changes in brain structure that cannot be reversed even with “catch-up” sleep.

1. The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance

A sleep deprivation study on a group of elementary students revealed that sixth graders, missing one hour of sleep a night, performed in class at the level of a fourth grader. Effectively, losing one hour of sleep a night can reduce a child’s cognitive maturation and development by as much as two years. Additionally, delaying a child’s bedtime by one hour over the weekend can lead to a seven point reduction in IQ scores. Even 15 minutes of sleep can mean the difference between an average grade A student and an average grade B student.

The brain cells are unable to form the connections required to record memory due to sleep deprivation. Therefore, children suffering from sleep deprivation are not able to retain information learned in class. Sleep is vital for the synthesis and storage of memories. During sleep, the brain moves information learned during the day into more efficient storage areas within the brain. The more a child learns during the day, the more sleep is required to consolidate the memories associated with the information learned.


2. The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Weight

Sleep studies have revealed that children who sleep less are, on average, fatter than children who receive adequate sleep. Children who received “less than eight hours of sleep have about a 300 percent higher rate of obesity than those who get a full ten hours of sleep.” The two-hour window revealed a “dose-response” relationship between sleep and obesity.

How does sleep deprivation affect weight gain?

Lack of sleep has been shown to increase the hormone that signals hunger and reduce the hormone that suppresses appetite.
Lack of sleep increases the levels of the stress hormone cortisol which stimulates the body to make fat.
Sleep deprivation disrupts the normal release of human growth hormone which is essential for breaking down fat.
So there you have it – even losing as little as an hour of sleep a night has an enormous impact on anyone under the age of 21.

While we’re on the topic of sleep, it should also be noted that studies performed on adults who were averaging about 6 hours of sleep a night functioned similarly to individuals who had not slept in 24 hours. It’s not just the children that suffer from a lack of sleep; however, it is the children that have the most to lose from that missing hour.