Late to Bed

Nobody was getting much sleep last week at the home of University of Munich Pediatrician Dr. Theodor Hellbruegge, 40. Reason: after tiptoeing through three clinics and two orphans' homes to record 13,248 separate observations on the sleeping habits of youngsters. Hellbruegge and a team of researchers concluded that children sleep less and need less sleep than many parents believe. While Hellbruegge's findings are already well accepted by most pediatricians, angry mothers and fathers jammed his phone well into the night with complaints that their youngsters were using his findings to extort late bedtimes.

According to Pediatrician Hellbruegge, a sleeping time of 15 hours is normal for children under one. This gradually decreases from 13-14 hours for two-year-olds to eleven-twelve hours for six-year-olds.

Ten-year-olds, he said, need only ten hours' sleep, and 14-year-olds not more than nine hours. Recommended bedtime: between 8 and 9 p.m. for sixto ten-year-olds, between 9 and 10 p.m. for eleven-to 15-year-olds, plus a one-hour afternoon nap up to age ten--or even to age 15.

As important as bedtime itself, insists Hellbruegge, father of six, is suitable preparation. Warns he: "An artificially early bedtime may cause childish frustrations and encourage masturbation habits." To prevent children from being overstimulated when they go to bed, Hellbruegge recommends playing Bach or Haydn records instead of popular tunes, reading aloud instead of watching television. Said he to aroused parents: "My recommendations stem solely from my concern about the frustrations which arise when children are sent to bed before their bodies are ready for sleep. The time gained should be carefully utilized by parents. If the time is wasted by allowing children to supercharge themselves with new stimuli. I would consider an early lights-out the lesser evil."

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