NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — How your child is feeling and behaving when they’re awake depends a lot on how they sleep.

Children who don’t get enough sleep are at risk for depression and risky behaviors such as skipping school or taking drugs.

“So, there’s a lot of science to sleep that we’ve figured out over the last 40 or 50 years that sleep is not just the lack of being awake,” said CHKD Sleep Medicine Specialist Dr. Michael Strunc, “that when you go to sleep, a lot of things change for your brain.”

Sleep restores our brains and bodies. It boosts muscle mass, releases hormones that promote healthy growth, fights germs and controls weight.

“Also, filtering and sorting what we did today,” Strunc said. “What I’m going to remember, what I’m going to throw away.”

Kids between the ages of six and 12 need between nine and 12 hours of sleep every night. Spotting a sleep-deprived child, Stunc said, looks different than a typical sluggish adult.

“Your six-year-old might wake up tired and then be very hyper because their brain sleepy,” he said, “but a sleepy six-year-old might sort of be bouncing around the room or the classroom.”

Sleep-deprived children may have trouble getting along with others and paying attention in class. They may get lower grades and feel stressed out.

To help, Strunc recommends parents write out a sleep plan with their children.
For example:

• Turn off technology
• Put on PJs
• Brush teeth
• Get into bed

Follow the plan at the same time every night for a couple weeks.

“And then, if they’re tossing and turning, they’re snoring, if they’re mouth-breathing, if sleep is really fitful,” Strunc said, “then that might be a reason we need to look at obstruction, sleep apnea in your child and the consequences it could have for how they function.”

Getting ahead of sleep issues now can decrease their risk for health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease, later in life.

If your kid needs more motivation, tell them it will also help with sports performance.