A good night’s sleep

What is one easy way to improve your child’s health and academic performance? Sleep more and go to sleep earlier!

We have long suspected sleep was important for effective daily functioning and now research findings support the need for more sleep for children. Sleeping less and going to bed late are seen to have a detrimental effect on children; emotionally, socially and academically.

Interestingly studies also show that though the number of hours a child sleeps is important, a consistent bedtime or how early they get to bed in preschool has bearing on their health too. Sorry but daytime naps do not make up for a good night’s sleep!

So how early is early for preschoolers?

Studies say at or before 8.00 pm and this article suggests that bedtime should be as early at 7.00 pm

How much sleep does your child require?

Here are the latest recommendations from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine:
Babies 4 months to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours
Children 1 to 2 years old: 11 to 14 hours
Children 3 to 5 years old: 10 to 13 hours
Children 6 to 12 years old: 9 to 12 hours
Teenagers 13 to 18 years old: 8 to 10 hours

Let’s look at the many benefits of an earlier bedtime.

  • Improves the  child’s  ability to learn,
  • Increases information retention
  • Improves attention span
  • Regulates emotions.
  • Reduces their predisposition towards a variety of health problems, such as obesity.

Start today with planning your child’s bedtime. Sometimes this can be a challenging task as we face many competing time demands. The Student Support Team would be glad to work with you to set up a healthy, consistent routine for your child.

Please contact: harjyot.malhotra@mbis.org

tanya.mangwani@mbis.org

shambhavi.singh@mbis.org

beena.abraham@mbis.org

https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/science-why-kids-need-early-bedtimes/

The Journal of Pediatrics

Wiley Online Library