Evening star., 1942-07-03
Health, Growth
Are Dependent
Upon Sleep
Observe How Much
Your Child Needs;
Regulate Hours
By Lehice Lee Street,

Anybody who knows the irst
A B Cs of child care realizes that
late hours are detrimental to .
youngsters health. II children are
to have steady nerves and robust
bodies, as well As the reserves on
which to grow. they must be given
long hours of undisturbed sleep
every night.
1t is true that not all children,
even infants and youngsters Of the
same ages, require the identical
amount of sleep, but all youngsters
need more rest than the average
adult. Children are not only main
tanning their status quo. the way
you and I must to remain In good
health, but their bodies have an
additional and all-important duty
that of growing.
Mothers should observe their little
boys and girls to determine Just how
much sleep they need and then
see that they get it.
II you have a little baby, start
right now to train him into whole
some sleeping habits. put him to
nap and to bed at night at the
same hour every day. do not wake
him up unnecessarily and never.
never keep him up to show him
to your family or to admiring
friends. If you abide by these rules
he will accept them and he will
pass from babyhood to childhood
with the regular habit OF sound
sleep firmly established.
Most older children take from 10
minutes to q half an hour to go
to sleep after they are In bed and
this is all right II the child is not
all keyed up when the lights ars
put out. Some little people like to
talk to their bedtime toys or to
sing themselves to sleep. II. rs q
child grows older, and thus requires
less rest, you find that he Is waking
up very early in the morning. 1t is
sometimes wise to put him to bed
little bit later at night. Thus q
5-year-old may say his prayers at
6 or $50 and a 10-year-old at 8
or $50.
Knowing that a child literally
cannot be healthy without sufncient
sleep 1t seems utterly amazing that
so often one sees well-dressed. OBJ
viously prosperous and apparently
intelligent people in restaurants
with young children at all hours
OF the night. Not long ago, at l
o'clock in the morning, 1 saw
miserable, hollow-eyed lass Of 7 or
staring solemnly at the merry
makers in night club. 50 wretched
and weary chat it Is a wonder she
did not fall from her chair. Her
legs were spindley, she was under
weight and sallow-skinned-and no
wonder! II her parents allow her
to stay up so late and in a place
that is improper for a child. on
special occasion, she probably goes
to bed rregularly from 10 to mid
night every evening.
1t is completely selfish Of such
parents, for the sake of their own
pleasure or because they are too
weak to resist the child's begging.
to thus jeopardize her health.
Not only are such late hours .
menace to a youngsters physical
well-being and development, but
the excitement of attending such
gala, grownup spots as night clubs
and restaurants make peaceful
sleep impossible when the over
stimulated child finally goes to bed.
Even if her heavy little lids close
promptly into an exhausted sleep
her hours of rest, II watched by
a trained observer, would prove to
be restless, fretfu and troubled by
bad dreams.
In order for child to sleep well
his daily life must be serene and
we'll ordered. A child who is over
fatigued or wound up like a nervous
little top has poor night and
awakens unrefreshed, SO jittery and
irritable that he does not calm down
during the day and quiet sleep is
again denied him the following
night. Thus we see the vicious
circle that encourages a child to be
puny and sickly. the circle that
damages body and nerves.