Most parents know that if their children don’t get enough sleep, they’re likely to be grumpy and irritable. However, poor sleep is also associated with lower academic achievement and effort control, or the ability to focus and manage our attention. Sleep has a big impact on all aspects of life, below we look into the effects of sleep on children’s academic performance.
How sleep impacts learning
Learning something new and academic performance requires a few simple steps. We begin by acquiring new information and skills. This includes reading together, lessons in the classroom, and study. To get the most from the first stage, we need to be alert and able to focus on the information being shared.
Secondly, we amalgamate the information through repetition and practice. This includes singing the alphabet in class, reading texts with words of similar difficulty levels, and repeatedly sounding out words. While we sleep, the experiences and emotions we have gained and practiced throughout the day are consolidated into memory and stored for later access.
Finally, we need to be able to recall and use the information we have taken in so that it can be applied to new areas and demonstrate our understanding. This can include learning to read more difficult words or taking a test. Recall is imperative for testing and grading academic achievement. Without the right amount of sleep, we’re unable to properly store what we’ve learned for recall at a later time.
What happens when we sleep?
Sleep plays an important role through all three of the steps for learning. While we slumber, we move through various phases of sleep several times. The first four stages are known as NREM sleep and are associated with physically restorative functions for our body. This is when our body boosts our immune system, repairs muscles and cells, and grows. Without enough NREM sleep, we wake feeling tired and hazy.
The final sleep stage is called REM sleep and the period we dream. This is also when our experiences and emotions are processed and stored as long-term memory. When we miss out on the correct amount of REM sleep, we don’t get to process all of the information we have collected through the day. It can leave us feeling scattered and easily distracted – not an optimal state for learning something new, or demonstrating what we have already learned.
Simply put, when we don’t get enough sleep, we’re unable to benefit from the restorative and supportive functions that take place within our body. This leaves us, and children, feeling lackluster, moody, and unable to concentrate properly or recall things we’ve learned with ease.
The right amount of sleep
As we grow, the amount of sleep we need changes. Young babies sleep for around half the day, while adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. School aged children between the ages of six and 13 need around nine to 11 hours of sleep every night.
During the school year, it’s helpful to establish a bedtime routine.
A simple routine could involve brushing teeth, changing into pajamas, or even listening to a story. It can also include taking a warm bath or picking up toys before going to bed. When your body has a consistent routine, it will learn to prepare itself for what is expected throughout the day. That said, a consistent bedtime routine will signal to the body that the evening is time for rest, allowing those sleep hormones like melatonin to kick in.
If you child struggles with following a routine in the evening or throws nighttime tantrums, try giving them choices. For instance, let them pick out their pajamas or the story they want to read that evening. This will give them a sense of autonomy as well as structure.
Not getting the right amount of sleep can undermine any additional study or practice a child has done. To support your child’s academic achievement, prioritize their sleep and stand your ground when they ask to stay up late – especially on a school night!
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