Mom to Mom Contributor
If you haven't started already, now is the time to ease children back into their school year routine. That means getting to bed earlier. Lack of sleep can contribute to poor efforts in the classroom, behavior problems, even obesity. Our Channel 6 pediatrician has the scoop on shut-eye.
It's not just a new school year for the Pattersons. It's a new school for Taylor, David, Noah, and Sydney. But one thing hasn't changed: the need for enough sleep.
The children's mom, Kimberly Patterson says, "Noah likes to start antagonizing his sister; poking at her -- she'll start crying. You can just tell by their behavior."
To prevent that, Dr. Janie Mikuls offers some sleep guidelines:
Preschoolers need 10 hours
Grade schoolers need eight to 10 hours
Teens need 10 hours
Not getting enough rest can lead to headaches, stomach aches, or even worse.
Dr. Mikuls says, "There's a definite body of evidence that shows that kids who are being diagnosed with attention deficit and things like that, a lot of the times it's not the whole answer but a big chunk of it is not getting enough sleep. When you're sleep-deprived you're inattentive, impulsive, you don't sit still."
A nightly routine can really help. Trade video games and computer time for quiet time before bed, a chance to read books, and unwind.
It works for the Pattersons.
Kimberly says, "When school starts it's in bed by 7:30, lights out by 8:00."
She says she strict with the school year rules because, "it's good for their brains and it's good for my husband and I to have some time alone before bed."
Getting up on time is something else to practice.
Dr. Mikuls says start waking children up at the appropriate time before the first day of school.
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