Does Bedtime Affect Your Child’s Grades?

The other day I was picking my children up from the after-care program at their school, and when I walked in I noticed at least 2 kids crying in tantrum-like fashion. “Bad day?” I asked the teacher. She said, “It’s like this every Monday. People let their kids stay up too late on the weekends and they’re a wreck come Monday”.

I just love it when other people prove my point. :)

While it might be tempting to stay up until midnight on Saturday night and have a movie marathon, or take your children out to a late dinner or a party with friends, in the end it just doesn’t pay to keep kids up late on weekends. It wreaks havoc on the body clock and then takes all week to get fully back on track, only to have it wrecked again come the next weekend.

This can take its toll on your child’s grades in school as well. A recent University of Minnesota sleep habit survey of 7000 high school kids discovered that even 15 minutes more sleep a night can make the difference between an A and a B.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends children ages 5-12 years get 10-11 hours of sleep a night. If they get less than that, their brains simply can’t function at the same level they would if they were getting a good nights’ sleep.

Lack of sleep can cause a variety of problems for students, including:

• Dozing off in class
• Short-term memory problems
• Difficulty retaining information

Sticking to your regular bedtime routine, whether it’s a weekend or not, is the best way to combat fatigue at school. Your children will feel better and think better when they’re well-rested. Getting better grades will be an added bonus!

Looking for some step-by-step advice on how to encourage healthy sleep habits in YOUR child? The Sleep Sense Program contains absolutely everything you need to get your child’s sleep on track, including books, “how-to” videos, and even telephone and e-mail support! It’s been used by over 109,000 parents, and is backed by my “it works or its free” guarantee!