Chad Minnich says that 'Sleep is a fundamental need for all children, and when teachers say that there are students suffering from lack of sleep in class, this is very important, for the impact on studies that may occur'.
In case you wonder who Chad Minnich is, he is one of the editors of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center (these are the tests used to measure student competencies); and also belongs to Boston College.
These tests also include questionnaires for teachers and parents, which include information on children's sleep patterns and nutrition. It has been detected that the United States has the highest number of students with lack of sleep, so much that 73% of the boys and girls of nine and 10 years of age, and 80% of 13 and 14, were identified by their teachers as very affected by this lack.
Other countries with high rates are New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, England, Ireland and France. Finland, with a very good reputation due to its excellent educational system, is also among the nations that lead the numbers of students suffering from lack of sleep
It seems that researchers also wanted to know more about the influence that households have on young students. Much has been written about the impact of wealth and poverty, but at Boston College they also wanted measure data such as sleep and nutrition. And it was intended to compare the results of the math, science and reading exams with the information about the sleep of the test participants.
Sleep well and good academic performance
Children who sleep more have better performance in math, science and readingThe same happens with nutrition, and this is because if the most basic needs are not met, it is difficult to reach an optimal level in the studies, since the body requires that it be answered in the first place.
Karrie Fitzpatrick, is a sleep researcher at Northwestern University in Illinois, and who is convinced that lack of sleep makes younger students be more emotionally volatile speaking; but also that they have less ability to concentrate, and many difficulties to learn.
There is also a tendency when many students who do not sleep well are observed, to simplify the "explanations and instructions"given by the teachers, because these children will respond better if they find it easier, although this could be a problem for those who do not accumulate that fault, since they will not be able to move forward.
However any You can regain the functionality of accumulating and processing content when you start sleeping enough hours on a daily basis (and those hours are nine to 12 years, approximately, because there will be children with 8 and a half have enough, and others who need 10). In other words, as long as there has been no permanent damage, we should not be alarmed, but we must be responsible for the hours of sleep our children need.
What happens when going to bed?
Well, what It has been lengthening dangerously for different reasons (Although previously the relationship between sleep and school failure had been written), but experts point out (among other factors) the use of smartphones or laptops (to which tablets should be added), in the evening. It seems logical that having a light so close when the room is dark, distorts the ideal scenario to rest, but also, if the brain is not allowed to rest from external stimuli, it takes longer to fall asleep.
I think we should all apply the logic to our daily lives, and to transmit to our children in the first place that there is time for everything throughout the day (and if there is not, it is prioritized), and secondly, that the night is for sleeping (at least until they reach the age in which they begin to leave), that is to say, the natural thing is that the diurnal animals take advantage of the parenthesis that gives us the darkness to rest and regain strength. It is also that in this way learning becomes active knowledge, do you remember?
In the background lack of respect for our biological rhythms, because going against them can cause not only lack of sleep, but other health problems arising from eating poorly because you do not have time, or not spending a little time daily to walk outdoors to give us the sun.
In short, the lack of sleep has a direct impact on learning, because sleeping well is very important for memory and information consolidation, and the opposite will cause problems to retain ideas.
Images | Dwayne, thejbird Via | BBC World In Peques and More | How are sleep disorders in children?
