Dr Sarah Blunden does not like to interfere in private family matters, but she wants parents to understand the importance of enough high-quality sleep for their children.
The sleep specialist's biggest concern is Indigenous children, particularly in remote areas.
Through her research she has found many of these children do not have regular bed times and lack routine.
After four studies in Indigenous communities, she believes erratic sleeping habits may be one of the reasons children are falling behind, compared with their non-Indigenous peers.
"I have become increasingly convinced improved sleep habits could make a significant contribution to closing the gap," says Dr Blunden, head of paediatric sleep research at South Australia's Appleton Institute.
She says there is clear evidence that sleep issues in children are associated with learning problems, emotional regulation, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other physical and psychological issues.
"Considering that sleep is one of the key requirements of good health, it is only logical that it should be explored, investigated and improved, and that doing this might have positive impacts on these children's lives."
She says it appears that quality of sleep is as important as quantity.
This means children need a regular bed time and a warm and safe place where they can sleep undisturbed through the night.
"If children go to bed later, they may have the same sleep duration, but wake up later. This does not fit with school hours and may lead to other social issues."
A major warning sign is when children's sleeping routine is significantly disrupted over weekends, she says.
"Sleep is very modifiable, very changeable.
"Sleep education interventions certainly help non-Indigenous children who are experiencing problems. We see a change in performance, mood and a whole lot of other outcomes.
"We need to be culturally sensitive, but it would certainly be helpful if we could find a way to help Indigenous families to find a way to improve their children's sleep habits."
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