Study Finds Kids Need To Balance Busy Schedules With More Sleep

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Study after study tells us that we are a sleep deprived nation.

It's not just adults, but kids too, who are sleep deprived.

As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez explained, that's why the American Academy of Pediatrics is endorsing a new set of sleep guidelines for children.

Between school, extracurricular activities, and busy parental schedules, it's not hard to see how many parents struggle with making sure their kids are getting enough sleep.

At the Winget house keeping up with 8-year-old Grady, and 5-year-old Ginger is nearly a full time job.

"It's challenging to get them in bed by 8:30 and then school starts at 8 so we struggle with it at times," Brande Winget said.

Experts said getting enough sleep is critical for kids, not just for their physical health, but also to help with their behavior and learning.

That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics, for the first time, is supporting specific sleep guidelines for children.

"Decreased sleep can lead to hypertension, which is high blood pressure, we know it can lead to obesity, in teens it can lead to depression and adults as well," Dr. Corinn Cross, AAP Spokesperson, said.

The new recommendations say infants from 4 to 12 months should get 12 to 16 hours of sleep. Children 1 to 2-years-old should get 11 to 14 hours, kids 3 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours, 6 to 12-year-olds should get 9 to 12 hours, and teenagers should get 8 to 10 hours.

Many children are too over-scheduled to get enough rest.

"Sometimes you do have to think about what is it my child really enjoys doing. Those are going to be our priorities and maybe we don't need to do every sport," Dr. Cross said.

The academy also said parents should establish a routine to make sure kids get to bed on time.

"I just want happy, healthy, rested children. It makes parents a little easier," Brande said.

Turning off TVs and computers 30 minutes before bedtime is a good place to start.

Just because your child is going to bed at a reasonable hour does not mean they're getting enough sleep.

Teens are often texting well after bed time or even waking up to text.

If your child seems unusually sleepy, check to see what they're doing on their phones or computers at night.