Are your Kids Getting Enough Sleep?
Now that school is back in session, are your kids truly getting enough sleep? According to the National Sleep Foundation, elementary school age kids between 5-12 years old need between 9-11 hours of sleep a night to feel and perform at their best throughout the day. Sleep directly affects children’s mental and physical development. It’s about more than just being rested for the following day!
Check out a few reasons why sleep is so important for kids:
1. Sleep helps children fight off illness! When we sleep, we produce proteins that our body needs to fend off infection, illness and stress.
2. Sleep increases kids’ attention span – children who are overtired can be impulsive and distracted, making it hard to concentrate and perform well in school.
3. Sleep promotes growth. The growth hormone is mostly secreted during sleep!
4. Adequate sleep enables kids to have better problem-solving abilities.
5. Sleep helps to regulate the appetite hormone, which is related to maintaining a healthy weight.
Creating and keeping a consistent bedtime routine helps promote a healthy sleep schedule for kids. Limiting electronic devices like watching TV and cell phone use is also important to make it easier for kids to fall asleep and stay asleep!
