Study: Putting Children To Bed Earlier Makes Moms Healthier

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Science has confirmed that putting children to bed earlier improves the mental health of mothers.

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A study by Growing Up in Australia, tracked thousands of families starting in 2004. Every two years, participating families took part in a series of interviews that allowed researchers to check in on the state of their health - both mental and physical.

The first group observed 5,000 children between the ages of 0 and 1-year-old in 2003-04. The second group studied 5,000 children between 4 and 5 years of age in the same span of time.

Researchers found, after looking at sleep and lifestyle data they had collected during that time, that children with earlier bedtimes had a healthier quality of life.

The study found that family life improved in many ways with moms being mentally and physically healthier if their children were put to bed earlier.

Carers and teachers also documented the changes in children throughout the study to ensure the results were comprehensive.

Beyond just having happier moms, kids that go to bed earlier also sleep longer according to a poll by the National Institutes of Health.

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National Sleep Foundation officials confirm that children need a lot of sleep every night. A chart recommends the number of hours of sleep kids should get each night.

It's no surprise then that tired parents, as a result of perhaps putting children to sleep later, say it's harder to stay at home with their children than it is going to work.