Parents often find their children's schedules filled with activities like sports, social events, and homework, leaving little room for sufficient sleep. Research by Dr. Elsie Taveras, a pediatrician at Mass General Brigham, indicates that adequate sleep is essential for preventing chronic conditions such as heart disease, especially in children from racial minority or low-income households. Dr. Taveras serves as the chief community health and health equity officer at Mass General Brigham and is the executive director of the Kraft Center for Community Health at Massachusetts General Hospital.
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Dr. Taveras emphasizes the need to focus on sleep health and advises families to be aware of its importance. Her research highlights that children aged 6 to 12 should ideally get 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night, while teenagers aged 12 to 18 require around 8 to 10 hours. Dr. Taveras’ team has published findings in the journal Pediatrics that track children's health over several years. They have observed that inadequate sleep duration and poor sleep quality can lead to increased risks of obesity and heart disease.
The research also indicates that not all children are impacted uniformly. Dr. Taveras notes that children from racial or ethnic minority backgrounds and those from low-income households exhibit worse sleep quality and a heightened risk of chronic diseases. She stresses the significance of examining the links between socioeconomic factors and sleep health, underscoring the need for counselors to guide families in this area.
To improve sleep quality, Dr. Taveras advises parents to establish consistent bedtime routines for younger children, such as the