Sleep

“For math and languages, we need to use the skills that are called ‘executive functions’—things like working memory, planning, not being distracted. The hardware that supports those skills is in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which is very sensitive to the effects of poor sleep or insufficient sleep.”

Sleep recommendations

Sleep deficits negatively affect your child's concentration and emotional stability especially when their brains have to be at work. Please take note of the sleep recommendations below:

*Toddlers (1-2 years) need 11-14 hours per day

*Preschoolers (3-5 years) need 10-13 hours per day

*School age children (6-13 years) need 9-11 hours per day

*the younger children need the higher hours of sleep

*On average to get 11 hours of night time sleep and to wake up by 6:00 am - your child should be in bed by 7pm or 6.45pm

*The rest of the required hours should come from naps or an earlier bed time on school days- it is okay to put your child to bed at 6:30pm.

*To manage this - make sure your child is in bed 20-30 minutes before they need to be asleep: this builds in time for the extra requests they will make and for the resistance you may first encounter.

A direct way that sleep and school performance are connected is through effects on mental function. Some known problems associated with lack of sleep include:

• Decreased attention. The ability to concentrate is vital to learning and academic achievement, but insufficient sleep reduces attention and focus⁷.

• Impaired memory. Sleep provides a time for memory encoding⁸, which is when the brain stores and strengthens the recollection of an image or thought. Without adequate sleep, memories may not be properly formed, and it may also be more difficult to accurately recall stored information.

• Slowed processing. Short sleep may reduce sharpness, slow reaction time, and hinder the ability to quickly take in and analyze information⁹.

• Worsened sequential thinking. The ability to remember a series of steps, such as in a science experiment or when playing a musical instrument, is reduced when sleep is curtailed¹⁰.

• Reduced creativity. Creative thinking relies on being able to make connections between diverse ideas, and some research has found that this type of mental activity is harmed by poor sleep¹¹.

Sleep deprivation can also detract from school performance because of various effects on mood and behavior:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness: Drowsiness during the day, including at school, can have considerable consequences for academic achievement¹². Dozing off for seconds at a time, known as microsleeps¹³, can occur in the classroom, causing a student to fall asleep at their desk. In addition to interrupting learning, this may be viewed by teachers as a behavior problem.

• Poor decision-making: Limited sleep can hinder the development of the parts of the brain involved in making good decisions¹⁴, increasing the likelihood of risky or unwise choices that can lead to disciplinary problems in school.

• Aggression: Some research in children has linked sleeping problems to a heightened risk of aggressive behavior¹⁵, which may be especially worrisome when combined with sleep deprivation’s effects on mood.

• Irritability and mood: Quality sleep is correlated with healthy emotional regulation¹⁶, which may make children and teens who fail to get enough sleep more likely to be irritable or upset¹⁷.

• Hyperactivity: Insufficient sleep can affect attention and in one study was associated with levels of hyperactive behavior¹⁸ reported by teachers. Sleeping problems may exacerbate the symptoms¹⁹ of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

• Depression and Anxiety: In both adults and children, sleep deprivation is associated with a higher risk of depression and anxiety, and these conditions can directly affect a child’s overall health and school performance.