025 - Sufficient Sleep

Post date: Nov 20, 2015 8:58:22 PM

Counselor Notes 25

October 3, 2014

Getting Children A Sufficient Amount of Sleep

In the next few issues of the notes this year, I want to turn some attention to some things that I am going to request of parents. The first is:

Make sure your child(ren) is (are) getting a sufficient amount of sleep.

Regarding how much sleep a child needs, WebMD http://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/sleep-children recommends the following:

1 – 3 years old 12 to 14 hours of sleep per day

3 – 6 years old 10 to 12 hours of sleep per day

7 – 12 years old 12 to 14 hours of sleep per day

12 – 18 years old 8 to 9 hours of sleep per day

Sleep is important in attention, learning, behavior, and decision making. A lack of sleep is also likely to be a factor in childhood obesity. http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/en/news/newsandfeatures/pages/growing-consequences-of-not-enough-sleep.aspx (Please note how they recommend even more sleep for children than WebMD does.) Adults know how they function on a lack of sleep. Should we expect different of children?

There is some concern that children at Waverly Elementary School are not getting enough sleep. In a survey of 3rd Grade students, one-third of them reported that they did not go to bed by 9 o’clock the night before. This is troubling as a child who could sleep all the way to 7 in the morning would need to be not only in bed, but asleep by 9 o’clock the night before to get the minimum recommended 10 hours of rest. (Children who have to get up earlier, would have to be asleep earlier.)

I hope parents will take the necessary steps to make sure their child(ren) are getting enough rest. I would also add that I hope parents will help to spread the word to others to get their children enough sleep too. Your children go to school with their children and if their children aren’t getting enough sleep it will have an impact on the entire class.

There are free printed notes on dealing with childhood sleep disorders outside of the school cafeteria. A Google search will also yield information on getting a good night’s rest. I will also be available during the Parent – Teacher conferences Monday 10/20 and Tuesday 10/21. (Yes, I had those dates wrong on the last newsletter.)

Doug Muha Ed.S.

School Counselor

Waverly Elementary School

P.S. I specifically avoided get into the issue of adults getting enough sleep but will say that according to the Center For Disease Control, insufficient sleep is an epidemic in this country. http://www.cdc.gov/features/dssleep/ Please take care to make sure you get enough sleep too!