It is no secret that adequate sleep improves quality of life. And at 6 months pregnant, that fact confronts me head-on every waking moment of the day.
For instance, today I am struggling to get anything done because I tossed and turned most of last night. But yesterday, I could have waddled a marathon because the night before granted me over eight hours of uninterrupted shuteye.
And the reality is that adequate sleep plays an equally important role in the performance and behavior of our children. I googled "sleep and academic performance," and I found dozens of studies and scholarly articles that indicated that adequate sleep positively contributes to a child's academic performance.
As a former School Counselor, I witnessed the effects of sleep deprivation too often. Children who spent their evenings up late playing video games, watching T.V., talking on the phone, or caring for their siblings were literally falling asleep in class. Not to mention, exhaustion plays a significant role in a child's level of concentration.
Most school-age children need 10-11 hours of sleep each day; teenagers need 8.5-9.5 hours.
Here are a few tips for helping your child get enough sleep:
- Develop, establish, and maintain a bedtime routine.
- Use common sense when giving your child treats and sugar in the evening. Make sure you leave adequate time for your child to digest dinner and dessert before bedtime.
- Wind-down well before bedtime. Keep high energy and sometimes stressful activities early in the evening (including homework and studying), leaving relaxing and calming activities for the later hours.
- Set an example. Not only will your children see that you make adequate sleep a priority, but you will be less cranky, grouchy and irritable when dealing with your non-compliant nigh-owl.
- Reach out to your pediatrician or friends for support or help if necessary.
Make sure that all parents and caregivers are aware of these tips and follow them consistently. So often I worked with children who were exhausted because the primary caretaker was gone and the sitter let them stay up late.
And speaking of sleep, check out this amazing opportunity to win a $1300 Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort. Heck, a bed this awesome might be just what it takes to give your child an academic boost {wink}.
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