Are you worried about your kid’s school performance? Is your kid getting proper sleep? Wondering how these two questions are interrelated? Well, research shows a connection between children’s sleeping patterns and how they perform in their schools. Sleep is not only essential for rest and repair but also for the release of hormones for your child's growth and well-being.

Is Your Child Getting the Needed Sleep?

Actually, sleep patterns by age use to vary. It means different age groups need varying amounts of sleep for optimal health and academic performance. For instance, preschoolers aged between 3 and 5 years need 1- to 13 hours of sleep per day to perform well. On the other hand, school-age kids aged 6 to 12 years should sleep for 9 to 12 hours and teenagers between 13 and 18 years of age are advised to sleep for 8 to 10 hours daily.

So, figure out whether your child is getting the recommended amount of sleep. If not, they are more likely to have serious consequences on their cognitive abilities, mental health, and emotional well-being, and thus, their school performance will degrade- all because of sleep deprivation.

How Poor Sleep Patterns Can Impact Your Child’s School Performance?

You have understood that a poor sleeping cycle can harm academic performance in kids and teenagers. But how? 

A direct way how your kid’s sleeping time and school achievement are linked is through effects on their mental health and function, along with various effects on mood and behaviour. Here discussed are some of the most critical areas that can be affected due to a lack of sleep:

• Decreased attention: A lack of sleep can reduce your child’s ability to focus and pay attention in class, making it difficult to concentrate on their lessons.
• Slow processing: Short sleep can slow the brain's ability to process information, sharpness, and reaction time. It can further affect your kid’s capacity to comprehend instructions or grasp new concepts quickly.
• Reduced creativity: Creative thinking significantly depends on your ability to connect diverse ideas, and research has found that sleep deprivation can harm this type of mental functioning.
• Poor decision-making: When sleep is inadequate, children might struggle to make good academic and social-related decisions, which could increase their disciplinary problems in school. 
• Irritability and mood: Kid’s sleep time directly affects emotional regulation. If your younger one fails to sleep on time or long enough, he will be more likely to be upset or irritable.
• Worsened sequential thinking: Children can struggle with tasks that require a series of steps, such as solving math problems, playing musical instruments, and writing essays if they are not well-rested.
• Aggression: Some research suggests that lack of sleep can increase aggressive behaviours in younger children, further disrupting their classroom environment.
• Hyperactivity: Ironically, kids who don’t get enough sleep might become hyperactive due to exacerbated symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
• Depression and anxiety: It has been seen that sleep-deprived children are usually at higher risk of anxiety, stress, and depression, which could affect their overall health and their ability to concentrate and perform well academically.

Effects of Sleep-Related Problems on Your Kid’s Academic Performance

Let’s figure out how the following sleep-related problems can influence your little munchkin’s performance in school:

Bedtime Resistance and Academic Performance 

Children who resist going to bed at a recommended kid’s sleep time often fail to get enough sleep, which further makes them irritable. Moreover, some kids start feeling sleepy during school hours, making it difficult to concentrate on their lessons, leading to poor academic performance.

Sleep Anxiety and Academic Performance 

Does your child experience anxiety around bedtime? If so, you might notice him struggling to fall asleep, resulting in a disrupted sleeping pattern. Furthermore, it’s been sound that a one-unit increase in sleep anxiety can contribute to a 0.235-point decrease in kids’ academic grades. 

Night Waking

As per Ravikiran et al., 25% of children who were studied had night awakenings. Frequent waking during the night can lead to a fragmented sleeping cycle, which means your little munchkin will not be rested enough and, thus, fail to remain alert during school hours. 

Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Academic Performance 

Is your child diagnosed with a sleep-disordered breathing condition like sleep apnea? In such a case, your kid might struggle to breathe properly during sleep, causing him to wake up multiple times. Therefore, it can reduce his quality of rest, making him experience daytime sleepiness, lower IQ scores, and difficulties with memory and learning in school.

Daytime Sleepiness and Academic Performance 

Are teachers continuously compliant about your child sleeping during classes? He might be suffering from a sleep condition called daytime sleepiness. Sleeping excessively during the day can lead to fatigue, irritability, and lack of motivation, making it hard for your younger one to participate in school activities. 

How Can You Help Your Children Improve their Sleep Patterns and School Performance?

Is your kid struggling to perform well academically? Do you want to do everything possible to support your little munchkin in school? If so, you should be aware of the ideal time for sleep for kids and help them establish healthy sleep habits to improve their school performance. 

The following are some strategies you can consider applying to help your child sleep better and do good in school:

• Ensure your younger one goes to bed and wakes up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to help regulate their internal body clock.
• Encourage relaxation before bed by incorporating calming activities such as listening to soothing music. Do not let them watch TV or use a mobile phone for at least an hour before bed.
• Keep your child’s room dark, quiet, and calm and remove distractions to create an ideal sleep setting.
• Caffeine and sugar can interfere with a child’s ability to fall asleep. Instead, feed them balanced meals and snacks that promote relaxation.
• Regular exercise can help your kid burn off excess energy, helping improve their sleep quality. 

Concluding Words

You should keep in mind that the importance of a good night’s sleep goes far beyond simply feeling rested. For children, adequate sleep is paramount not only for their physical growth but also for their mental and cognitive development, which can contribute to their academic success. So, promote good sleep by consulting a Medanta paediatrician about sleep hygiene.