Raising the Next Generation of Sleep Superheroes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 50% of children in the United States under the age of 14 don’t get enough sleep. The problem is even worse for teens: As many as 70% of high school students are chronically sleep deprived. Children from low-income households suffer disproportionately from inadequate sleep. Kids living below the poverty line consistently get less sleep, and lower quality sleep, than their better-off peers.

Everyone should care about these statistics. This crisis affects not only millions of children but has far-reaching implications for our society. After all, when children don’t have a safe and comfortable place to sleep, they miss out on sleep’s many physical and mental benefits: a better attention span, improved ability to learn, greater resiliency, stronger immune function, and more satisfying friendships. If their ability to learn is compromised, their performance in school suffers. If their performance in school suffers, their future prospects are more limited. And so it goes.

At Saatva, we are trying to change the messaging about sleep, making clear that it’s not just something that happens, but something that has to be prioritized and planned for at any age. I’ve written before about how a good night’s sleep unlocks a superpower; for young people, establishing good sleep habits early on is the key to a healthy future. 

Here’s how you can help raise the next generation of sleep superheroes:

Establish a routine. Children thrive on routine. A consistent set of bedtime rituals helps get their body and mind ready for sleep (this approach works for adults too). For children as well as grownups, a good wind-down routine might include a warm bath or shower, turning off screens, and a mindfulness exercise like listening to calming music, deep breathing, or writing down their feelings. The same goes for morning routines: Consistent wakeup times help maintain the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which contributes to overall health and well-being.

Set a good example. When it comes to most social interactions, like sharing or being polite, we try to model good behavior for our kids. Sleep should be no different. Children have to see it being prioritized if they are going to take it seriously themselves. That’s why I am so committed to talking about sleep as an activity that you have to prepare for, just as you would any other physical activity. If you make wind-down time something that the whole family engages in together, kids will get the message that prioritizing sleep is more important than checking that last work email or scrolling social media. 

Provide a safe space. It’s easy to identify the best practices for sleep, like keeping the room dark and turning off screens. But what if a child doesn’t have a safe and comfortable place to sleep in the first place? “Bedlessness” is a real phenomenon for many children, especially those living in poverty. Quality sleep, and its profound health benefits, shouldn’t be something that only certain people get to enjoy; it should be accessible to everyone. That’s why Saatva partners with organizations like the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, Joy Street Initiative, and Home Works USA to provide mattresses to families in need. This summer I’ve also set aside 100 kids’ mattresses to donate in time for the start of the school year. If you know a young person who doesn’t have a proper place to sleep, please message me. We’d love to help them unlock the potential that healthy sleep provides.