Sleeping Angels

How children's sleep affects their health and well being.

Dennis Rosen, M.D. is a pediatric sleep specialist who practices at Children's Hospital Boston. See full bio

March 27, 2009

Choosing to breastfeed or not

While there are certainly many benefits to breastfeeding, I absolutely disagree with characterizing a decision not to breastfeed as a form of child abuse. Read More

March 25, 2009

Breastfeeding shown to reduce crib death in infants by ~50%

It is hard to think of a tragedy more heart-wrenching than the unexpected death of a previously healthy infant who is placed in her crib at night and dies in her sleep without warning. Crib death, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) affects otherwise healthy infants, and is the leading cause of death in babies between the age of 1-12 months. This month, a study published in Pediatrics seems to show that breastfeeding affords significant protection against crib death. Read More

March 22, 2009

Little footsteps in the night

"Is it normal for a 7 year old to climb into bed with his parents in the middle of the night, every night?", with the age and gender of the child varying according to who is asking and at whom they are glancing pointedly while doing so, is a question I am asked at least once a month, whether in clinic, or at talks that I give. It always gives me pause, and I try to answer it as best I can while realizing that the issue is much more complex than simply defining this as normal or abnormal behavior. Read More

March 16, 2009

Obstructive sleep apnea and ADHD in kids

Many children with ADHD suffer from an underlying physical disorder causing fragmented and disrupted sleep, such as obstructive sleep apnea, or periodic limb movement disorder, which is either the sole or main cause of their ADHD. As many studies have demonstrated, treating the underlying sleep disorder can bring about a dramatic improvement in a child's behavior.
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March 12, 2009

Should High School Start at 11 AM? (Part 3)

The question remains whether we want the school day planned in such a way so that our children's learning is optimal, or so that it is merely acceptable, while making sure that parents are able to get to work on time. It should be recognized that these (and other) conflicting needs result in a compromise which is not always to the children's advantage. Read More

March 11, 2009

Should High School Start at 11 AM? (Part 2)

It is very important to remember that getting a good night's sleep, both in terms of quality and quantity, is no less important for one's physical health than eating right, or getting enough exercise, and that in children it has been shown that the lack of a good night's sleep is associated with negative cognitive, developmental and behavioral consequences. Sleeping is not just something to be done when we've run out of better things to do, and unfortunately, this isn't as widely appreciated as it should be. Read More

March 10, 2009

Should High School Start at 11 AM?

According to a report in the British Newspaper “The Guardian” from 3/08/2009, Dr. Paul Kelley, headmaster of Monkseaton Community High School in North Tyneside, England, has proposed sweeping changes in the timetable at his institution, which would entail having classes start at 11 AM, instead of the more usual 9 AM. This comes following testing... Read More

March 7, 2009

How to spring forward without falling back

Tonight we set the clocks ahead by one hour as Daylight Savings Time resumes at 2 AM tomorrow morning. Springing ahead indeed, and while there's still lots of snow on the ground left over from last week's storm, I think most of us are ready for spring to finally check in and show its sunny face. While adults generally grumble about the lost hour and feel sleep deprived for a day or two, many children seem to have a much tougher time with it.
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Sleep Basics

For many of us, sleep is the sweet balm that soothes and restores us after a long day of work and play. But for those for whom sleep is elusive or otherwise troubled, the issue is far more fraught. Most people, at some point in their lives, experience difficulty falling asleep.

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