Lack of Sleep

A lack of sleep is a documented contributor to stress, anxiety, and depression. It makes sense that if God created us for a rhythm of work and rest, interruptions to our rest cycle will wear us down and wear us out. This is true for people of all ages, but especially true for our children and teens, which offers another explanation for the epidemic of anxiety among the young. A new study from Michigan State University confirms this reality. The study, focused on ninth grade students, found that when kids get an adequate amount of sleep, they are better prepared to handle problem solving tasks. In addition, they are more prone to seek support from their peers when they face difficult situations. And, adequate sleep builds the kind of resiliency needed to handle ethnic and racial discrimination. Researchers are reminding parents to enforce a regular bedtime, to limit overnight media use, and to provide a quiet sleep environment. God wants our kids to flourish. Let’s do what we can to make that happen.