Caffeine, kids, and sleep are all connected. This is a call to be caffeine and sleep aware particularly where our kids are concerned.
There's no question that quality of sleep has long-term health and cognitive benefits. Sleep deprivation is linked to weight gain and loss, academic performance, emotional and mental stability and more.
The best way to ensure your child's long-term well-being is to nurture good sleep habits in early childhood. Respecting sleep as an integral part of a 24-hour day is a cornerstone for parents' and caregivers' wellbeing as well -- such needs are the same as the children in their care.
Set up a consistent bedtime routine, get out in the sunlight early in the morning, include lots of natural movement throughout the day, cut out the screen time at least 3 hours before bedtime.
This week, increase your caffeine awareness for your family. Caffeine is what many adults reach for regularly with a variety of side effects. But for children and teens, there is no question that caffeine is bad for their health.
Caffeine effects:
- appetite & therefore growth
- mood (nobody likes a cranky kid...not even a cranky kid!)
- increases heart rate & blood pressure
- fine motor coordination
Caffeine is absorbed into every tissue of the body. As a drug you can build up a tolerance to caffeine - feeling its effects less and less so you consume more and more. Caffeine can take 3-7 hours to be released from the body.
Caffeine can be downright dangerous. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, an analysis of energy drink toxicity in the National Poison Data System, of 1,480 non-alcoholic energy drink cases, 50.7% were children less than 6 years old.
The Journal of Pediatrics has stated that low doses of caffeine, under 100 mg, can have an impact on your child's heart rate, blood pressure, and quality of sleep. The Canadian government has advised that children take in 45 mg or less of caffeine.
Awareness regarding caffeine in your family's diet requires only a shift of intention. Check labels and use this brief list of hidden sources of caffeine as a guide:
- Chocolate bars & hot chocolate
- Sodas - including sodas that are not cola colored & diet sodas
- Yogurt, ice cream, & frozen yogurt
- Flavored breakfast products -- including cereals & breakfast drinks
- Coffee, tea
- Some medications
There are non-caffeinated alternatives to most of these with the exception of chocolate...there's nothing like the really thing. Just make sure it's served way ahead of bedtime. You may be able to deal with a 5-year-old pouting because they can't have a chocolate treat after 12 noon, but a wired kid after 7 PM is going to make the entire family miserable.
For a more detailed list of caffeinated products, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has a helpful chart.
For those who want to investigate this more deeply, The Journal of Pediatrics has an abstract on caffeine consumption in young children here.
How difficult...or simple...will it be to increase your caffeine awareness this week? The free Bedtime Blueprint helps you schedule your days with an eye towards sleep, including when to cut out caffeine. Fill out the form below to download.