SBM – April Bowling, PhD and James Slavet, PhD
About one in every five US youth has a diagnosed mental health condition. Many more struggle with symptoms of anxiety or depression. Fortunately, research has shown that getting daily movement and enough sleep can meaningfully improve kids’ mental health.
Developing healthy sleep and exercise habits in children can be challenging. Parents are often pulled in many directions at once, splitting their focus and forcing them to prioritize the care they provide. Parenting kids with mental health challenges can be especially taxing, in this regard.
When parents have to “pick their battles,” they often report that improving physical activity and sleep habits just don’t make the cut. This partly arises out of the misconception that their children need to make huge, unrealistic changes for it to make a difference. In fact, small, manageable changes can help develop life-long healthy habits that can make mental health conditions much more manageable.