Healthy sleep habits for children are foundational to physical, emotional, and cognitive development—yet sleep is often overlooked in pediatric care. Hasnaa E. Jalou, MD, FAAP, FAASM, Medical director of the Sleep Center at Riley Hospital for Children and chair of the Sleep Member Interest Group at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, shares practical, family-centered strategies clinicians can use to assess sleep, address common barriers, and integrate sleep interventions into pediatric care.
ACLM member Hasnaa E. Jalou, MD, FAAP, FAASM, doesn’t just view sleep as one of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine– she sees it as the foundation. Sleep influences nearly every aspect of a child’s health, from brain development and emotional regulation to metabolic and cardiovascular function.
As Medical director of the Sleep Center at Riley Hospital for Children/Indiana University in Indianapolis, Ind., Dr. Jalou believes that making sleep a routine part of clinical assessment can have a profound impact on both children and their families.
In this Q&A, Dr. Jalou explains how she assesses sleep in pediatric patients, identifies common barriers such as screen time and family routines, and offers practical strategies clinicians can use to support sustainable lifestyle behavior changes that promote restorative sleep.
Why is sleep so critical for children’s health and development?
Sleep plays a fundamental role in children’s neurodevelopment and overall health. Growth hormone, for example, is secreted primarily during sleep, especially during deep sleep. And if children are not getting enough sleep or not reaching the restorative sleep stages, growth can be affected.
Different stages of sleep also support learning, memory consolidation, and emotional regulation. Research shows that insufficient sleep can impair cognitive functioning, with areas like math and problem-solving particularly affected, which can translate into academic challenges.
Sleep also plays a major role in metabolic health. Hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, such as leptin and ghrelin, become imbalanced with inadequate sleep, increasing appetite and contributing to weight gain. Families often report that their child wakes up hungry in the middle of the night despite eating dinner, or sneaks food into the bedroom, which is the result of a hormonal imbalance because of inadequate sleep.
How do you assess whether a child and family are getting enough sleep?
A thorough sleep history is essential. I usually start by asking families to walk me through a typical evening, starting from after dinner to bedtime and through the night. Depending on the child’s age, I ask both the parents and the child directly.
You’d be surprised how often parents don’t fully know what their teenager is doing at night, especially with screens. Those conversations often lead to “I didn’t realize that” moments, which are very revealing.
In medicine, we say that 90% of making a diagnosis comes from a good history, and sleep is no different. Children are often referred to me for one issue, but after a detailed sleep history, we discover something entirely different and sometimes more serious. Without that history, it’s easy to miss the real problem.
How screen time affects pediatric sleep
Light is one of the strongest signals to our biological clock. Screens stimulate the brain’s circadian system and send a message that it’s time to be awake and alert, and not time to sleep.
I explain it to families this way: when you’re tired while driving, you turn on music or grab coffee to stay awake. Screens do the same thing to the brain. They tell the body, “Stay up. This is not bedtime.”
I strongly recommend turning off all electronics, such as TVs, phones, and tablets, at least one hour before bed. That time should be reserved for calming activities: reading, quiet play, meditation, prayer, or simply spending time together. Baths or showers can also help the body wind down.
Without this transition, children often struggle to fall asleep, which can lead to anxiety around bedtime and create a vicious cycle of poor sleep.
How nutrition and physical activity impact children’s sleep
I prefer to talk about “healthy lifestyle” rather than diet. Many of the children I see struggle with obesity, which is closely linked to insufficient sleep. Addressing sleep, nutrition, and movement together is critical.
I try to individualize recommendations by asking children what they enjoy. If a child likes dancing, I might suggest kid-friendly dance or Zumba for Kids videos on YouTube. The goal is about 30 minutes of movement a day, and I often “prescribe” it in writing so it feels concrete and achievable.
We also talk about food choices and reading labels, and alerting them to hidden sources of caffeine. Many families don’t realize that chocolate milk or sweet tea contains caffeine, which can interfere with sleep.
Importantly, I focus on small, realistic changes. Instead of overhauling everything at once, we target one habit at a time. Those baby steps are often what make change sustainable, especially for families facing limited resources.
Why family involvement is essential for healthy sleep habits
Children’s sleep habits are influenced by their environment, cultural factors, and the sleep behavior they see modeled at home.
For example, I often see younger parents who let their two- to three-year-old kids stay up late to watch television with them. That routine becomes entrenched, and years later, it’s very difficult to shift when school schedules demand earlier bedtimes. Now they are going to bed at midnight and getting up at 6 or 7 am.
That’s why sleep interventions almost always involve the entire family. When parents recognize their own habits in the conversation, they often say, “I need to do this too.” Addressing sleep can be transformative because it touches everyone in the household.
Using lifestyle prescriptions to improve sleep
I actually write a simple, personalized prescription for the child. It might include sleep goals, physical activity they enjoy or replacing something unhealthy they eat with an apple. I encourage families to put it on the refrigerator as a daily reminder.
For kids, this makes the plan feel official: “The doctor ordered this.” We often pair it with a reward chart or calendar to reinforce progress. It turns behavior change into something tangible and motivating rather than abstract.
Key takeaway for clinicians addressing pediatric sleep
Sleep should be addressed early and consistently—starting in infancy and continuing at every visit. Even when time is limited, asking a simple question like “How is your child sleeping?” can open the door to meaningful intervention.
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Sleep is a foundational pillar of lifestyle medicine and a critical driver of pediatric health. ACLM members gain access to evidence‑based education, practical clinical tools, and a community of clinicians advancing lifestyle medicine—including sleep—as an essential part of patient care.