Sleep Discipline new Year Countdown Objection Young Children – No
We have come again to that time of the year when people around the world practice counting backwards from ten to zero to usher in a new beginning. The New Year's countdown is a ritual observed in many major cities, from Rio de Janeiro to New York, Singapore to Beijing. Often, it is accompanied by intense celebrations featuring local and international artistes, loud music and long parties. Is it really something worth celebrating, though? More specifically, should young children stay up to observe this 'tradition'? It probably all depends on how young they are, and what's involved in the celebration. Ultimately, it should be the parents' choice, but for biological and social reasons, it would be better for children below the age of 10 to not join in for the New Year's countdown, especially if it is televised.
Sleep is a very important part of our daily routine because it is the only time our body gets to recover from the stresses it has endured in the course of the day. Tissue growth and repair takes place primarily during the Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) period of sleep, when we are not dreaming and when our heart rates and breathing become more regular. Children aged three and below will need to sleep at least ten hours a day, and a sleep routine be developed so that they can get to sleep by themselves more easily. This is best done if it is adhered to as strictly as possible every day, so that the habit is ingrained in the child.
Making an exception to this routine for the New Year's countdown could be considered acceptable, seeing as it is only once a year, but for children who do not normally get to decide for themselves what time they should go to sleep, this might give them an excuse to stay up in future. It may then be very difficult for the parent to justify why the child should go to sleep without appearing to be arbitrary or abusing his or her authority. If not handled well, this could then lead to poor sleeping habits which may hinder the child's proper growth development.
Of course, above the age of 10 and in the teenage years, the child should be allowed to use its own discretion to decide whether or not staying up is a good idea, and should learn to take more responsibility for its own actions, if this has not yet become clear to the child. Prescribing to them what to do, even if they appear to consent and comply on the surface, is not the best way to approach this issue - the child should be encouraged to decide - and provide justification for - its own conduct.
Allowing the child to stay up for the New Year's countdown is also not the best of ideas if the child is below the age of 10. This is due to the fact that children are seldom expected to be up that late, and consequently the content that is shown on television at that time is potentially unsuitable for impressionable children. Naturally, not all content being broadcast at that time slot is meant only for the eyes of adults, but as the attire and attitude of the revelers may not always be suitable for children, there should be someone around who can explain anything the children find abnormal.
If the countdown is a family event, and the entire family, perhaps even extended family, is present to usher in the New Year, then perhaps it is a little more acceptable for young children - at least those not too much younger than 10 who require more sleep than others - to stay up for it. At least then there should be some form of control over the behaviour of the people at the countdown, and there will more likely be people present who can help the young to properly enjoy the occasion and understand any irregularities they may observe, on television or otherwise.
The objection to young children staying up for the New Year's countdown is primarily on a biological basis, to allow the young children to grow to their maximum potential and have as few disruptions to development as possible. However, if they are aware that it is an exceptional occasion and otherwise keep strictly to their sleep routines, and there is guidance available to help make sense of things that are seen or heard, it makes their staying up for such an event a little more acceptable - after all, they will have to experience late-night revelry at some point and the more prepared they are for it by then, the better.
Some reference to http://www.sleepforkids.org/html/habits.html was used in writing this piece.
