Kids Need a Consistent Sleep Schedule for Academic Success

Getting kids back into their wake-up routine for school can be a struggle if they’ve been sleeping in this summer. But take heart, says a New York sleep expert, parents can win the battle in about two weeks.

The key is to keep them on a consistent sleep schedule.

“It should be maintained, even on holidays and weekends. Often people don’t know that,” said Preethi Rajan, MD, who works in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine for the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

“They have a good schedule during the week, but even a day off schedule can really mess things up in the long run because sleep really does function best when it’s regular and consistent.”

Not getting enough sleep, especially in children, has been linked to various conditions such as poor performance in school, impaired memory, hyperactivity (especially in younger children), weight gain and potentially poor academic performance.

According to Dr. Rajan, the amount of sleep required by children and adolescents varies by age.

• Pre-schoolers age 3 to 5 need about 10 to 13 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, some of which may be in the form of a nap
• Elementary and middle-school students age 6 to 13 require 9 to 11 hours of sleep per night
• High school students age 14 to 17 are recommended to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep

To help get kids on track with sleeping, Dr. Rajan advises parents to set up an optimal sleeping environment such as a cool, quiet and dark bedroom.

She also recommends restricting your child’s use of electronic devices about an hour prior to bedtime. The devices – computer screens, cell phones and tablets – emit light of a blue wavelength that has been shown in studies to potentially impair sleep quality and even delay falling asleep.