Military kids have a lot to grapple with in their young years.
They move, often, to unfamiliar places on the map.
They say goodbyes to people they love over and over and over.
And military kids are serial new-kids-on-the-block. Yet, they still rock that status like a boss by excelling academically, leading in their communities, volunteering for causes, and joining clubs and sports. Some have even started their own organizations to help support others.
Recent data has revealed all of these changes can also create more stress in the lives of the children of US service members. Blue Star Families’ Annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey highlighted the stress placed on the more than 1.7 million military children in America. Military families move seven times more often than civilian families, which means the average military child will attend six to nine different schools with at least two transitions during high school.
Experts have found these constant changes can also affect sleep. Thirty-one percent of military families said their child had experienced difficulty sleeping/nightmares to a moderate or great effect as a result of their military parent’s deployment, and over half of respondents said their child had experienced separation anxiety, worry, and/or sleeping problems as a result of the service member’s deployment.
To recognize the sacrifice of today’s military children, Sleep Number and Blue Star Families have teamed up for a special giveaway to help provide a good night’s rest. Now, through the end of April, military families can enter to win a ZZZ Bear and Sleep Number pillow.
“Sleep can reduce behavioral issues of children of deployed military to include reduction in stress levels, anxiety, and declining grades,” Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families, said in a press release.
There’s just a few days left to participate in the MilKids Sweepstakes running through the end of April honoring the Month of the Military Child.
What tricks do you use to help your kids sleep better?
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