We all know that a well-rested child does best in school. Getting enough sleep can affect their ability to process information and stay engaged in the classroom.
Now a new study by Canadian researchers and reported in the journal Pediatrics has affirmed the importance of sleep in school-age children.
Researchers found that elementary-school children who went to sleep earlier than their routine bedtime were more emotionally stable and alert in class than those who went to bed later. In addition, children who lost about 54 minutes of sleep each night appeared very tired, more impulsive and more irritable compared with their well-rested peers.
Thirty-four typically developing children aged 7 to 11 years with no reported sleep problems and no behavioral, medical, or academic issues participated in the study.
So the next time your child asks you if they can stay up a little later to watch one more TV show, hold firm and insist they go to bed on time. They’ll thank you for it later.
