Children who do not sleep properly and who have disrupted sleep patterns show more chances of developing anxiety and depression in the later years of life. Scientists have stated that lack of proper sleep exposes your child to a risk of depression.
It is essential for children to catch on proper sleep or else they may face psychological problems like depression and anxiety in the later years of life. Continuously having an inadequate or irregular pattern of sleep is unhealthy, says a study. According to Candice Alfano, Associate Psychology Professor at the University of Houston in the US, “Healthy sleep is critical for children’s 
Continually experiencing inadequate sleep can eventually lead to depression, anxiety and other types of emotional problems.”
Temporary sleep restrictions in about 50 pre-adolescent children aged 7-11 years were noted in this study and the results highlighted that ,” Inadequate sleep impacts children’s emotional health not only by creating more negative emotions, but also by altering positive emotional experiences.” The researchers insisted that parents need to realize the importance of their child catching up on adequate sleep as it is essential to improve the overall health of the child. Sleep is as important as dental hygiene, nutrition and physical activity stated Alfano.
Alfano also stated that if a child is sluggish during the day and has difficulty staying awake in daytime then this may be a result of improper sleep. In the experimental study, children who had not had proper sleep for just about two days were less reactive to positive things in their lives and could not derive any pleasure from them. They even had a tough time recollecting the positive incidents later on.
Poor sleep pattern may be because of a bad bed, inconsistent night sleep schedule, late bedtime, or non restful night sleep. Get checking and make sure your child sleeps well so that they stay free of physical and emotional complications like depression later on in life.
