Ensuring children get sufficient and quality rest is the primary foundation for maintaining their health. However, the phenomenon of children regularly sleeping past 10:00 PM has become a serious concern for medical professionals due to its multidimensional impact on children's growth and development.
Internal Medicine Specialist, Dr. Ika Devi, Sp.PD, explained that the habit of staying up late in children can trigger various health problems, one of which is tinnitus or a ringing sensation in the ears. In addition, chronic sleep deprivation also contributes to an increased risk of obesity, requiring parents to be more disciplined in managing their child's rest schedule.
Not only physical issues, but poor sleep quality also directly affects a child's cognitive function. Lack of rest leads to decreased memory capacity and impaired concentration due to excessive daytime sleepiness. This can certainly hinder the child's learning process and activities in school as well as their daily lives.
Furthermore, Dr. Ika highlighted the link between sleep deprivation and increased cortisol, or stress hormones. This condition can trigger an increase in stomach acid, which is currently a fairly common health complaint in children. In addition, children who sleep too late risk experiencing stunted height growth, given that growth hormone is optimally produced when children get enough rest.
Given these various risks, Dr. Ika strongly advises parents to enforce bedtime discipline, specifically before 10:00 PM. This preventive measure is considered crucial to ensure children can grow optimally and avoid various long-term health problems.
