Why is Sleep Important for Kids' Success at School?

Why is Sleep Important? 

Sleep is important for people of all ages, but especially for children. The brain recharges and stores memory during sleep, making it essential for children’s brain development. It also impacts mood, alertness, attention span, learning and memory. Adequate sleep is important in emotional regulation, judgment and decision making, problem solving and immune function. 

Nicole Shields, MD, a family medicine physician with Claiborne Primary Care, says children who typically sleep for 10 hours or more each night have better socio-emotional behaviors, learning engagement and academic outcomes. 

What Happens When Kids Don’t Get Enough Sleep? 

Missed hours of sleep can add up and have detrimental effects on children. Insufficient sleep often leads to behavioral problems and affects attention, memory and inhibition control. 

Sleep deprivation may cause children to struggle with attentiveness, hyperactivity or disruptive behavior. These may sometimes be misdiagnosed as more severe mental or behavioral disorders. These can sometimes be misdiagnosed as more severe mental or behavioral disorders. Studies have found that children who sleep less than the recommended nine hours were more likely to be depressed, anxious, stressed, aggressive and impulsive compared to those getting at least nine hours of sleep nightly.  

Additionally, sleep deprivation affects growth and brain development. Brain imaging has shown that less-rested children have a smaller volume of gray matter in the areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory and inhibition control. This causes impaired cognitive functions like decision making, conflict solving and learning. 

Sleep deprivation also affects the immune system. It reduces the ability to defend against viruses like colds and the flu. For adults, sleep deprivation can cause a higher risk of developing chronic conditions like cardiovascular problems, obesity and diabetes. 

Signs of Sleep Deprivation 

Some signs of sleep deprivation include: 

• Daytime drowsiness 

• Inability to concentrate 

• Memory problems 

• Hyperactivity 

• Poor school performance 

• Problems with impulse control 

• Behavioral changes 

How Much Sleep Do Kids Need? 

The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following amounts of sleep each night for children and youth through age 17: 

• 0 to 3 Months: 14 – 17 hours 

• 4 to 11 Months: 12 – 15 hours 

• 1 to 2 Years: 11 – 14 hours 

• 3 to 5 Years: 10 – 13 hours 

• 6 to 13 Years: 9 – 11 hours 

• 14 to 17 Years: 8 – 10 hours 

Tips for Good Sleep Habits 

Dr. Shields encourages parents to establish sleep routines with children of any age. Healthy habits promote better sleep and help foster success. She recommends having goals for going to bed and waking up: “Set an expectation and goal for bed and wake-up times. You may have to work toward this in increments of about 15 minutes every day.” 

Ditch the Devices 

Experts encourage removing electronic devices, including cell phones, from children’s rooms. Research shows that on average, every child has at least one electronic device in their room. According to the Sleep Foundation, blue light from screens interferes with children’s production of melatonin and their sleep-wake cycle. This results in less sleep overal, which can lead to less concentration and more tiredness the following day. 

Cell phones also should be removed from the bedroom at bedtime to avoid distractions. 

“If that can’t be changed, at least have the expectation that phones are turned off or on ‘do not disturb’ and are placed at a place in their room where they would have to get up and walk over to it. This prevents them from grabbing it to scroll mindlessly when they need to be asleep,” Dr. Shields says. 

Good Sleep Hygiene 

Regular bedtime routines are important to help get a good night’s rest. The Sleep Foundation recommends the following tips to help restful slumber: 

• Keep a regular bedtime and wake time.  

• Reserve the bedroom for sleeping. Remove distractions that may keep children awake.  

• Provide a healthy diet and regular exercise time. 

• Avoid large meals, caffeine and sugary treats before bedtime. 

• When it’s close to bedtime, avoid scary or violent content in stories and movies.

• Set the thermostat to a cooler temperature. 

• Use blackout curtains or nightlights to adjust the lighting in the bedroom. 

Dr. Shields notes that other habits to promote healthy sleep include listening to music, drawing, reading, journaling or meditating before bedtime.  “Sleep routines can be a great habit to start at any age,” she says.

Addressing Sleep Disorders in Children 

Research shows that nearly half of children experience sleep issues at some point. Common sleep disorders among children include: 

• Insomnia. Having trouble staying asleep or falling asleep is often related to inconsistent bedtimes or anxiety before bed. Insomnia affects 20 to 30 percent of children. 

• Obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring or momentary lapses of breathing affect a small percentage of children. It’s often related to enlarged tonsils or obesity, though it can indicate other health problems. 

• Sleepwalking. Walking or completing other behaviors during sleep affect roughly five percent of children. The behavior tends to resolve as the child gets older. 

• Night terrors and nightmares. Night terrors, which happen in the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage of sleep, cause children to wake in fear. Roughly 30 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 7 experience night terrors. Nightmares on the other hand occur in the REM stage of sleep and can cause anxiety upon waking. 

• Restless leg syndrome. Having an uncontrollable urge to move the legs during sleep affects a small percentage of children and can be disruptive to sleep. It can be genetic or a sign of a health problem. 

• Bruxism (teeth grinding). Teeth grinding can occur at any point in the day. It affects approximately 15 percent of children and can cause sleep disruption. It is commonly brought on by stress and can cause tooth damage, jaw muscle injuries and headaches. 

• Excessive daytime sleepiness. While not a disorder itself, excessive daytime sleepiness can be a sign of sleep-related issues or health problems. Ten to 20 percent of children experience symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness, such as increased sleepiness, reduced attention and falling asleep during the day. A poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 60 percent of children under the age of 18 complained of being tired during the day and 15 percent admitting to falling asleep at school. Excessive daytime sleepiness can also cause hyperactivity, fidgeting and aggressive behavior.  

To help address sleep-related issues in children, try improving sleep hygiene with better sleep habits, reducing stressors and creating a relaxing environment before bed. If your child consistently has problems sleeping, talk with your primary care doctor about ways to address the issue. 

Other Resources 

• Covenant Health Sleep Centers 

• Is Sleep Debt Real? 

• Infant Safe Sleep