For Parents

Children with regular sleep patterns 'smarter at school'

Children who go to bed at the same time every night do better academically.

By Andrew Hough
Published: 8:00AM BST 07 Jun 2010

Researchers found that children who had a regular bedtime performed better at languages, reading and math than those who went to bed at different times. Photo: ALAMY

Researchers found that children who had a regular bedtime performed better at languages, reading and math than those who went to bed at different times.

Scientists at SRI International, an independent American research institute based in California, found the earlier a child went to bed, the better they performed at school.  

The study of 8000 children who were aged four concluded those who had less than the recommended 11 hours of sleep each night fell behind in their studies.

The institute’s research, the largest of its kind, is due to be presented on Monday at a sleep conference hosted by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

"Getting parents to set bedtime routines can be an important way to make a significant impact on children's emergent literacy and language skills,” said Dr Erika Gaylor, an early childhood policy researcher who led the study. "Pediatricians can easily promote regular bedtimes with parents and children, behaviors, which in turn lead to healthy sleep."

The researchers completed the developmental assessment on four year-old children.

It also included analysis taken from on information on bedtimes that were conducted with parent during phone interviews when their child was nine months old and again when their child was four.

The findings found that having a regular bedtime was the most consistent predictor of positive developmental outcomes.

Scores for receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, literacy and early math abilities were higher in children whose parents reported having rules about what time their child goes to bed.

Children who had an earlier bedtime also had a predictive of higher scores for most developmental measures.

Dr Gaylor said the data also disclosed that many children were not getting the recommended amount of sleep, which may have negative consequences for their development and school achievement.

She recommended parents set an appropriate time for their child to go to bed so they received sufficient levels of sleep.

Parents, she added, should also interact with their child at bedtime using routines such as reading books or telling stories.

A previous study, published in Sleep Medicine in August last year, also emphasized the importance of an early bedtime and consistent bedtime routine for children.

It reported that children with a bedtime after 9pm took longer to fall asleep and had a shorter total sleep time.

Children without a consistent bedtime routine also were reported to obtain less sleep.

 

Preventing the summer slide

Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.
—Leonardo da Vinci

Students lose learning ground over the summer. Shannon Firth's "7 Ways to Prevent Summer Reading Slide" offers teachers and parents practical and fun reading activities:

http://www.stenhouse.com/rdfirth.htm?r=n192

Head over to the National Summer Learning Association and discover the ABCs of summer reading in James Kim's "How to Make Summer Reading Effective." Kim's research tells us that children need more than mere access to books in order to be successful:

http://www.stenhouse.com/rdjameskim.htm?r=n192

Looking for great titles? Education World's Gary Hopkins notes "Summer Reading Lists Abound on the Web." He's culled 9 from that abundance for your perusal. Don't miss Ed World's own list of K-8 titles, each with a brief synopsis:

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr244.shtml

How can you hook students on books over the summer? Read books for their age group and talk about them. Review Steven Layne's recipe for success, "Can We Talk?", Chapter 6 of Igniting a Passion for Reading:

http://www.stenhouse.com/0385.asp?r=n192
(Click the "Browse the entire book" link under the Table of Contents and then enter page 101 in the bottom of the online reader to jump to Chapter 6.)