Your Student Needs Good Quality Sleep

By Katie Martin, MSW, LCSW, CSAYC – September 18, 2024 –

A good night’s sleep can make or break a student’s success in school and in life. Quality rest and a sufficient amount of sleep create better outcomes in academics, social settings, mental functioning, motivation, emotional regulation and physical energy, among other things. 

There are many reasons a student may not be sleeping well, such as staying up too late, mental illness, stress, poor health in general, etc. It is important to establish good sleep hygiene. Many think of hygiene as related to cleanliness, but hygiene is simply doing what is conducive to maintaining health. Sleep hygiene maintains our health on a multitude of levels. 

Below is the recommended amount of sleep by age, according to the Mayo Clinic:

Infants 4 months – 12 months             12 to 16 hours per 24 hours, including naps

One to two years                                      11 to 14 hours per 24 hours, including naps

Three to five years                                   10 to 13 hours per 24 hours, including naps

Six to 12 years                                          9 to 12 hours per 24 hours

Thirteen to 18 years                                 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours

Adults                                                          7 or more hours per night

It’s important to establish good sleep hygiene as early as possible for student success. It may feel daunting as a parent or student if routines have not been previously implemented. In some cases, there may be strategies that have been attempted and failed, but consistency is key, and it may take some trial and error.

Families can help by encouraging structure and participating in healthy nighttime routines. Consult a doctor if a healthy routine isn’t working. In some cases, families may need to advocate for a sleep study if rest is not improved with good hygiene. 

The following tips for sleep hygiene are provided by the Children’s Hospital of Orange County:

1. Stick to the same bedtime and wake time every day, even on weekends. Staying up late during the weekend and then trying to catch up by sleeping in can throw off a child’s sleep schedule for several days.
2. Beds are for sleeping. Lying on a bed and doing other activities makes it hard for your brain to associate your bed with sleep.
3. Establish a comfy, cozy room. A bedroom should be cool, quiet and comfortable.
4. Alarm clocks are for waking up. Youth who stare at the clock waiting and hoping to fall asleep should have the clock turned away from them.
5. Stick to a bedtime routine. A predictable series of events should lead up to bedtime. This can include brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, showering, reading, etc.
6. Engage in only quiet, calm and relaxing activities before bedtime. Listen to soft, calm music. Avoid activities that are excessively stimulating, such as screen time and physical exercise. It is best to keep screen time out of the bedroom and limit use to at least one hour before bedtime.
7. Relax. Practice deep breathing and imagining positive images that bring happiness and comfort.
8. Start the day off right with exercise. Exercise and physical activity earlier in the day can help children focus, feel more energetic and awake during the day, and fall asleep and stay asleep later on that evening.
9. Avoid caffeine. Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening. It can cause nighttime awakenings and shallow sleep and/or prevent one from falling asleep.
10. If you can’t sleep, get out of bed. Get up and do something non-stimulating, such as reading a book. Repeat for 20-30 minutes if necessary. Getting out of bed prevents the bed from being associated with sleeplessness. 
11. Put kids to bed drowsy, but awake. The ideal time for a child to go to bed is when they are drowsy but still awake. Allowing them to fall asleep in places other than their bed teaches them to associate sleep with other places.
12. Cuddle up with a stuffed animal or soft blanket. A security item such as a stuffed animal or blanket can provide comfort for all ages.
13. Bedtime checkups should be short and sweet. Checking in on a child is to let them know you are there and everything is okay. A check in should be brief and non-stimulating.
14. Maintain a sleep diary. Track naps, bedtimes, wake times and behaviors to find patterns if things are not going well. Diaries can be reported to a doctor for further discussion.

With these tips, hopefully your child can establish good sleep hygiene and get quality rest so they can be at their best.