Sleep quality differs significantly between adults and children due to various physiological and developmental factors.
Children require more sleep than adults, with newborns needing 14-17 hours and school-age children requiring 9-11 hours per night, compared to 7-9 hours for most adults.
Children experience longer periods of deep sleep (NREM sleep), which is crucial for physical growth and brain development.
Their sleep cycles are shorter, leading to more frequent transitions between sleep stages. In contrast, adults go through longer sleep cycles that include both NREM and REM sleep, with less deep sleep compared to children.
Poor sleep can lead to behavioral issues, learning difficulties, and emotional problems in children, while inadequate sleep in adults can result in mood disturbances
decreased cognitive performance, and increased risk of chronic conditions such as obesity and heart disease.
Adults may also experience more pronounced effects of sleep deprivation, including impaired decision-making and attention.