Developmental Changes in Sleep from Childhood to Adolescence and Educational Approaches for Sleep Health

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to describe how sleep habits and sleep problems change from childhood to adolescence and what kinds of sleep education and public health approach is needed to promote sleep health. Sleep debt and social jet lag is likely to occur because children's sleep is disturbed with bio-psycho-social change with secondary growth. Therefore, it is important to provide education that supports sleep hygiene and behavior to maintain sleep health at school. Moreover, it is necessary to build a health system that supports good sleep for children. In this review, two forms of sleep education, sleep knowledge education program and sleep promotion program based on cognitive and behavioral strategies, were explained and the current situation and prospects in Japan were discussed. In addition, the current state of public health activities for ensuring adequate sleep among children and adolescents in Japan and overseas, for example school start later, were reviewed and the future policy making was discussed.