It’s that time of the year when students across the country must transition from the freedom of summer break to the school-year schedule – a schedule that usually involves waking up much earlier than they’re used to. While many of us (students and adults alike) may not enjoy an early to bed, early to rise lifestyle, understanding how sleep can impact our waking hours is important if we want to perform our best in everything we do.
The first step is knowing how much sleep we need for the growth and maintenance of our mind and physical bodies. For school-aged children (6-12 years old), the National Sleep Foundation recommends 9-11 hours of sleep per day with teenagers needing about an hour less. If we work the math, that means waking up at 6 am requires a bedtime between 9-10 pm (earlier than many teens would like…).
Unfortunately, not getting the sleep students need can have serious effects on their school performance. Lack of sleep has been shown to reduce attention and focus, impair memory skills, slow down our reaction and processing times, reduce creativity, and inhibit our ability to remember a series of steps – all things that are necessary for good grades.
To help your children get the best sleep they can, check out our current sale! To learn more about the effects of sleep on students’ performances, check out this report from the National Sleep Foundation.