Health Aide Office

With the start of school, I need to ask, are you getting enough sleep?  Many students I see in the art room, no matter the time of day, appear sleepy.  I began asking students what time they go to bed and I was shocked by their responses.  Students in grades 4-6 continually tell me they go to their rooms at night but text friends, play on devices or watch television until after midnight. 

Parents may not be aware of their quiet children’s stay up late behaviors.  The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends that students age 5 receive 10-13 hours of sleep, students age 6-13, should be sleeping 9-11 hours and students age 14-17 should get 8-10 hours. So I ask the question again; are your children getting enough sleep?

Additionally, NSF states that poor or inadequate sleep can lead to mood swings, behavioral problems and cognitive problems that impact a student’s’ ability to learn in school. The Foundation makes the following recommendations to help improve sleep. Teach school-aged children about healthy sleep habits. Continue to emphasize the need for a regular and consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine. Make the child's bedroom conducive to sleep – dark, cool and quiet. Keep TV, cell phones and computers out of the bedroom. Finally, avoid caffeine. Healthy sleep is an easy way to improve student health overall. In order to do well with ABC’s you got to get your ZZZ’s!