The Hidden Success Factor for School: Sleep

With school underway, you are doing everything you can to help your child learn. But you might be overlooking an important component in classroom success. Nearly a third of youngsters aren’t getting enough sleep and an expert says this can diminish their scholastic performance as well as their lifelong health.

“Kids need good sleep because they are learning and developing,” says Reuben Walia, MD, who specializes in sleep medicine, including pediatric sleep disorders, at Overlake Medical Center & Clinics. “The impact on kids is different than what happens with adults. When grownups don’t get enough sleep, it can diminish daily productivity but it isn’t a developmental concern.”

Children with insufficient sleep are more likely to become obese and have difficulty reducing their weight later in life. They also are at greater risk of depression and anxiety as adults.

Using cell phones, tablets and computers and playing video games in the evening are a common culprit in kids’ sleep trouble. “The brain is designed to wind down and prepare for sleep when it is darker,” Dr. Walia says. “Devices emit blue light, a higher-frequency wave that is more concentrated. It disrupts melatonin, which is our natural sleep hormone.” He offers parents the following tips:

• Know the amount of daily sleep needed for your child’s age:

Infants: 14-15 hours

Toddlers: 12-14 hours.

Preschoolers: 11- 13 hours

School-age: 10 to 11 hours

Teenagers: 8.5 to 10 hours

• Look out for signs your child lacks enough sleep, such as a big drop in grades; difficulty paying attention and remembering; or falling asleep at school or taking naps at home.
• Establish a consistent routine so your child is eating dinner, brushing their teeth, reading a book or story and winding down at the same times every evening.
• Stop device use, TV watching and video games 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
• Avoid strenuous physical exertion, stimulating social activity and large meals in the three hours leading up to bedtime.
• Keep cellphones, tablets and other devices out of your child’s bedroom. “They are designed for activities that stimulate your brain. Having them in the room leads your child to start associating them with what should be a sleep environment. Rather than using a phone for waking up, set a good old-fashioned alarm clock.”

“Our culture focuses on being busy and active, often to the detriment of restoring ourselves with the sleep we need,” says Dr. Walia. “But getting enough sleep is especially crucial for children, both for their success now and for their wellbeing as adults.”

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About Overlake Medical Center & Clinics

Overlake Medical Center & Clinics is a nonprofit regional healthcare system based in Bellevue serving the Eastside community since 1960. The health system includes a 349-bed hospital and a growing network of primary, urgent and specialty care clinics located throughout the region. Overlake is recognized locally and nationally for quality and safety, including recurring Leapfrog A ratings and Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and recognition as a Best Regional Hospital by US News & World Report in its Best Hospitals 2022-23 rankings. Overlake offers comprehensive advanced services including a dedicated Cancer Center, Level lll Trauma Center, Childbirth Center andLevel lll NICU, cardiac, neurosciences, orthopedic ###em ###a href="https://www.overlakehospital.org/services/mental-behavioral-health" title="mental" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://www.overlakehospital.o... health services. As part of our commitment to deliver high-quality care and an exceptional patient experience for our Eastside community, we collaborate with EvergreenHealth in cardiac services, neurosciences and quality, and with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance for cancer services. Employing more than 3,000 people, Overlake is dedicated to its mission of compassionate care for every life we touch. Overlake provided nearly $48 million in charity care over the last three years and is committed to providing exceptional patient care and services. For more information, visit overlakehospital.org.