When it comes to raising children there are so many proven benefits to making sure that your child gets a good night’s sleep. Benefits include such things as better behavior, mood, attention, physical condition, and Adult time. Consistently sleeping well is also one of the key steps to getting better grades.
The brain is very active during sleep. There are many research studies proving the importance of sleep on academic achievement. In one study, students were divided into two groups. The first group received instruction on a topic in the afternoon and were tested on the topic in the evening. The second group received instruction on the same topic in the evening and were tested the next morning.
The results showed that the group that got sleep before the test significantly outperformed the first group who did not sleep before the test. (Scullen et al 2011)
So how much sleep does your child require a night? For elementary school kids it most likely is between 10-11 hours and junior through high school is an hour or two less. A stick to it routine before bed is the best way to prepare for healthy sleep.
For younger children, that most likely will look like brush your teeth, bath, book, pee and bed. Older children will develop their own routine, but need to be reminded to keep their smart phone out of the bedroom because they will be tempted to stay on it rather than sleep as much as they can.
Because I help children with academics, parents often ask me how they can help their child get better grades. In my opinion, getting lots of sleep is a good start.
