I’m considering getting an old-fashioned alarm clock, one with hands and a bell on top.
My phone is my alarm at the moment and each night I have to fight the urge to check my emails one last time, or a last quick scroll through one of my apps as I’m turning on the alarm. If I struggle not to check, I’m sure that children struggle with electronic devices in their bedrooms too. On the weekend I went to a dinner party and didn’t get home until after midnight and when I got home I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep. The next day I was decidedly crabby, I couldn’t remember simple things, I made mistakes and needed a lot of coffee. This got me thinking about people and children, and their need for sleep.
Most teachers will tell you that Monday is the hardest day, behaviour wise, of the week. I think it could be linked to late night weekends. Sundays particularly. When parents don’t want to have to growl and the day has been more relaxed and less routine than weeknights and you let them stay up just a little longer than usual. I remember when we had a lot of churches with Sunday night services, and you could literally pick the students who went to church on Sunday nights (My own kids included). They would be fuzzy around the edges, sleepy-eyed and less likely to pick up any new learning.
With my Grade 3/4 class we have been looking at the United Nations rights of the child. One right is to be cared for and have a home, another is to live and grow up healthy and a third is the right to a good education. Maybe we need to combine those three and educate children and their parents about how much sleep they need to be as healthy as possible. Particularly in this digitally electronic age. I decided to do some research and found lots of articles to support good sleep patterns.
The Queensland Health Department fact sheet says; Sleep is essential for growth, immunity, learning and memory and is important for helping a child heal and recover. Healthy sleep means a good quantity and quality of sleep, with regular sleep routines.
Alternatively, the same site tells me; What happens if my child doesn’t get enough sleep?
A child who does not get enough healthy sleep may experience difficulties with concentration, memory, regulating their emotions, organising tasks and creative thinking. These children may be easily distracted, irritable, disruptive or generally hyperactive and restless. A lack of healthy sleep has been linked to mental health problems, poor growth, excessive weight gain, and reduced school performance.
So, what is healthy sleep and how long do children actually need?
I found a few sites where you could pop in a person’s age and wake-up time and it would tell you their bedtime. I apparently I need to go to bed by 9:45pm. You can see your suggested time is via the Sleep Calculator. Generally the consensus seemed to be that; 3-5 year olds need 10-13 hours; 6-12 year olds 10-13 hours and 13-18 year olds 8-10 hours.
Most professionals also encourage;
a regular time for bed and waking; whether a weekday or weekend
bedroom is quiet, dark and comfortable
exercise outside during the day
no electronics in the bedroom and limited exposure before bed
a regular going to bed routine eg. Teeth, pjs, story and bed
It also needs to be taken into account at the moment that COVID-19 may have disrupted sleep for many. When our minds have space to think quietly at night, we may find ourselves dwelling on the fears and unresolved situations in our lives. This includes worldwide pandemics with unknown solutions. We need to keep allowing our kids to discuss any worries they have and providing them with safe settling routines to calm and reassure them that all is well.
I will endeavour to follow my own advice and will greet you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the future.
Annie Joy — Primary Coordinator