You might not realize how important sleep is for your kindergarten-age children, but kindergarten can be frightening and challenging to kids who experience their first time away from home.
A new study reveals that kids who get 10 hours or more of sleep are best positioned to meet the challenges of school, handle multiple tasks seamlessly, remember instructions, and develop social and emotional skills.
Sleep Plays a Crucial Role in Your Child's Development
Many experts were surprised at the deep correlation between restful sleep, child health and child safety. Sleep gives kids enough rest to pursue the kindergarten agenda because it ranks as highly as diet and exercise in emotional development, learning how to be organized, and functioning with a can-do attitude.
The source study tracked 221 families, tracking the kids' sleeping habits with wrist monitors. Sleep habits were studied four times of the year: late July and early August, late September, late November and mid-to-late April. The data collected included personal observations and feedback from kindergarten teachers.
The results proved the strong relationship between kindergarten success and the health and safety of young children. The children who got 10 or more hours of sleep per night not only performed better, but had fewer accidents, mishaps and health scares. One of the ancillary conclusions of the study was the importance of early intervention to address sleep problems before children actually attend kindergarten.
Doctor Urges Parents to Create a Better Sleep Environment for Kids
Dr. Debra Babcock of Stanford Children's Health urges parents to take an active role in building a better environment that's conducive to restful sleep.
That means setting sleeping rules like not eating right before bed, not getting stimulated by video games, and sleeping with the lights out at regular times.
Setting rules shows kids that you take sleep seriously, and your efforts can give your kids a head start in school by improving memory processing and strengthening the ability to establish healthy relationships with other kids and reducing any health issues that might arise.
Kids not only benefit from a good night's sleep, but adults do as well! Lights out!
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