Posted July 18, 2008 to Education Resources | Section Home | Print

Returning Students Need Their ZZZs To Succeed

Parents can help their children get off to a good start this school year by getting them back on a school sleep schedule before classes start, according to sleep experts from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Studies show that students who get a restful night of sleep receive better grades than those who stay up late or spend their evenings counting sheep, said Michael Smolensky, Ph.D., a professor at The University of Texas School of Public Health and co-author of a book titled "The Body Clock, Guide to Better Health." Moreover, studies have shown that children and adolescents who are sleep deprived are more likely to exhibit daytime fatigue and sleepiness, problems concentrating and altered mood state. Nine hours and 15 minutes of sleep is recommended for adolescents and 10 hours for younger children.

A sleep study involving more than 3,100 students at four Massachusetts public high schools produced eye-opening results. "The top students, the ones earning mainly A's and B's, went to bed earlier on both weeknights and weekends than those who received C's, D's and F's. The high achievers slept about 25 minutes longer on school nights than did the low achievers," Smolensky wrote in the book.

Early morning classes can be particularly hard on teens because they have a natural tendency to sleep late, said Robert Roberts, Ph.D., one of Smolensky's colleagues at the UT School of Public Health and lead author of a study on the incidence of chronic insomnia among adolescents. 'Their circadian rhythms change at puberty and they want to go to sleep later and to wake up later," Roberts said.

Richard Castriotta, M.D., division director of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and medical director of the Memorial Hermann Hospital - Texas Medical Center Sleep Disorder Center, said school start times are often based on factors unrelated to student sleep schedules such as bus schedules, parent work schedules and day care. "I would advocate for later start times for school. There are children and adolescents in first period class who otherwise would be at home in deep sleep," Castriotta said.

During summer months, many students revert to their natural biorhythms, often expressing an intrinsic delayed sleep phase, Castriotta said. These children and especially adolescents may have a natural tendency to go to sleep late and get up later than would be possible during the school year. "A way around it would be to keep the kids on a school schedule at least a few weeks before school starts and get them up at 6 a.m. if that is required to get to school on time during the rest of the year," Castriotta said. The reaction to early awakening at the start of the school year is similar to what happens to many people on Monday mornings if they stay up late and get up late on weekends or to travelers with jet lag.

Here are 11 tips parents can use to get their young scholars back on sleep schedules for the 2008-2009 school year.

1. Start early - Don't wait until school starts to modify your child's sleep routine. It's a good idea to re-establish bedtimes well before the first bell rings.

2. Make incremental changes - Inch wake up times by 15 minutes or so until you reach the ideal time for your child's particular school district. You can't force children to sleep, but you can enforce wake-up times and adjust the bedtime accordingly.

3. Discourage daytime naps - It's hard to get a good night's sleep with a two- or three-hour nap. Try to limit naps to 20 minutes or so.

4. Encourage early exercise - Exercise helps children burn off steam during the day; however at night, it can keep children up, so discourage exercise in the evening.

5. Try to stick to a regular family breakfast and dinner time - Meals help anchor your child's day. Be sure children have a proper and healthy breakfast because children, especially adolescents, who go to sleep too late, are unable to wake up early enough to eat breakfast. This further compromises school performance in morning classes.

6. Limit bedtime television viewing - One study found that one fourth of nearly 500 children from kindergarten through fourth-grade in three middle class suburban schools had a TV set in their bedroom. Television in the bedroom is bad for both adults and children who have sleep problems, because it fosters the concept of the bedroom for entertainment rather than sleeping.

7. Create a restful environment - Your child's room should be dark, quiet and comfortable.

8. Snack if hungry - Avoid eating a large meal before bedtime. However, a light and healthy snack is OK.

9. Talk about sleep issues - The inability to sleep could be a sign of a bigger issue such as problems with bullies or stress over a new school and new classmates or even a sleep disorder.

10. Be a good role model - Parents should go to sleep and get up at a reasonable time, too.

11. Avoid excessive caffeine consumption -Heavily caffeinated beverages are now more popular than ever, and their consumption can be the equivalent of amphetamine usage with consequent difficulty sleeping at night. Remember that even tea (both green and black varieties) contains caffeine.

These tips can help your child succeed both in and out of the classroom.