Getting enough quality sleep can have a remarkable effect on kids’ abilities to focus, manage emotions, and feel their best. Simply put, sleep is an incredibly powerful activity and tool. We all need sleep to meet our individual potentials.
While it’s absolutely true that parents and guardians have more control over kids getting enough sleep at home, it’s also worth discussing the importance of sleep in school too. Whether you are a parent, teacher, school counselor, or coach, this article is for you. Together, we can help teach about the benefits of sleep and empower learners to make healthy bedtime routine choices for them.
How much sleep should kids and teens be getting?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, elementary-aged learners need between 9 and 12 hours sleep while teens need between 8 and 10 hours. Many kids and teens are not getting the rest they need to be their best. The CDC reports that 60% of middle schoolers and 70% of high schoolers aren’t getting enough sleep at night.
At first glance, it might feel like this is just a problem at nighttime, but that wouldn’t be showing the full picture. When kids and teens don’t get enough sleep at night, that lack of sleep rolls over into the school day. It impacts a child’s ability to focus, work through challenges, manage their emotions, and problem-solve through difficult problems.
What are the benefits of sleeping well for kids and teens?
The first step in helping kids and teens want to improve their own sleep habits is letting them know some of the benefits they gain. Just a few of the important benefits are listed below.
Sleep can improve memory.
Sleep plays an important role in strengthening, linking, and storing our memories. For example, you may learn a new song on guitar during the day, but it is during your nighttime sleep when the actual process of playing gets more securely stored into your memory. This can also be true when learning new facts and ideas.
Sleep improves focus and problem-solving skills.
A full night of rest helps build focus and concentration skills. Each night, your brain processes through new events and memories you’ve experienced through the day, sorting out which memories to keep and which to let go. In turn, this frees up space on your “mental whiteboard” allowing you to focus and concentrate on tasks each new day.
At the same time, this also aids your problem-solving abilities. With stronger focus and concentration, you are better suited to work through difficult puzzles, problems, and challenges that arise throughout the day.
Sleep strengthens immune system.
Our immune system keeps us healthy and protects us from germs. When we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies struggle more when trying to fight back against illnesses.
Sleep allows for growth, healing, and repair.
Good-quality sleep helps your body and mind repair from injuries and rejuvenate critical abilities that you use every day. While recovery is important for people of all ages, this becomes even more imperative for kids and teens, whose bodies and minds are still growing.
Sleep can help boost creativity.
During sleep, your brain is at work! After a good night’s sleep, you can have a boost of creativity, allowing you to make sense of material you’ve learned and create your own original ideas too.
A truly amazing example of this is artists who report writing songs in their sleep or right after they wake up, such as Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones writing “Satisfaction” in his sleep.
Sleep can help manage emotions and improve mood.
Sleep plays an important role in helping us process emotions. This can help us feel better after a good sleep, even if we experience a tough time the day before. It can also help us feel calmer and happier overall.
How can we help kids and teens to get enough sleep?
We can teach kids and teens to build their own healthy sleep habits. The goal is to empower young adults to make the best nighttime choices for them as individuals.
Choose a bedtime that allows for enough sleep.
Find out approximately how much sleep you should be getting (this is different for each age). Then, use your morning wake-up time and work backwards. This should give you an idea of when you should be falling asleep. Give yourself some wiggle room to allow for extra time in drifting off to sleep.
Develop a regular nighttime routine.
Routines make the magic happen. Plan out your nightly routine and practice it. This might include charging up your phone in the kitchen around 8pm, brushing your teeth, reading a book for 20 minutes or so, and then finally getting to your bed to start falling asleep by 9pm. This is just an example, as every situation is a little different. The most important part here is to plan out your routine and stick with it. It will get easier over time.
Keep your phone and electronics in another room.
The light emitted from our phones and electronics impacts our ability to successfully fall asleep at night. Beyond that, notifications from texts and apps can be a huge distraction. One of the best strategies is keeping the phone and any other electronics in a completely separate room. This might sound challenging at first, but once you make it a habit, it becomes the norm!
Exercise and move your body during the day.
Find ways to exercise more and move your body during the day. Because exercise being an important activity for a healthy lifestyle in general, it’s also a fantastic tool to help you get a better night’s rest. Consider: What exercises and sports do you enjoy? Try to add those to your day!
Engage in calming activities before bed.
Consider adding in some calming activities just before bed as part of your nighttime routine. Opt for activities that help calm and relax, such as reading a book, listening to music, stretching, or practicing deep breathing. These relaxing activities can help calm your body and mind, making it easier to fall asleep when the time comes.
Final Thoughts:
Sleep makes a difference for all of us. With just a little bit of time and education, we can help kids and young adults recognize the importance of their sleep and help them make some meaningful changes along the way.
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