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Are Your Students Sleep Deprived?

The problem of sleep deprivation in adolescents is well documented. But what about sleep deprivation in younger students? Is a lack of sleep interfering with your students' learning? Education World recently talked with two experts about the effects of sleep deprivation on elementary school students. Included: Resources on the importance of sleep to share with students and parents.

"Studies looking at kids in kindergarten through third or fourth grade show that 85 percent [of kids in those grades] are not meeting their nightly sleep requirements," James B. Maas told Education World. Maas, a professor of psychology at Cornell University, is the author of two books about sleep, Power Sleep for adults and the recently published Remmy and the Brain Train: Traveling Through the Land of Good Sleep for children.

"Kids tell me that they fall asleep on the bus," Maas continued, "and teachers say that they have to send kids to the nurse's office to nap."

Dr. Carl Hunt, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR), a component of the National Institutes of Health, agrees. "We know from talking with teachers that children are sleepy in the classroom and that this is a significant problem," he told Education World.

CAUSES OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Families in general are not going to bed as early as they need to, both experts add. Parents who are staying up too late to get everything done, often keep their children up too late as well.

SIGNS THAT A CHILD IS SLEEP-DEPRIVED

Because they become increasing more "wired" as the day progresses, sleep-deprived children often have trouble going to sleep at night. Parents may not realize that their children are not getting enough sleep.

EDUCATING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ABOUT SLEEP

Parents and children can learn what goes on in the brain during sleep by reading Remmy and the Brain Train together. Reading, the author points out, also is a good way to relax before going to bed.

Teachers can help children learn about the importance of sleep through the NCSDR's Sleep Well, Do Well Star Sleeper educational campaign, featuring cartoon character Garfield the cat. This program is aimed primarily at third graders, Hunt said, but will appeal to all young children.

"Parents, teachers, and children need to recognize that good sleep habits are just as important to overall health as diet and exercise," Hunt said, adding that a chronic lack of adequate sleep can exacerbate a tendency toward diabetes and being overweight, two growing health concerns in the United States. He also noted that sleep-deprived children are more accident prone than adequately rested children.

"Children develop habits when they're young," Maas said. "If they develop careless sleep habits as kids, they will retain them as adults. We have to learn to value sleep. Sleep is essential; it is not a luxury."

ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES ABOUT SLEEP DEPRIVATION IN CHILDREN

• Even Kids Suffer from Sleep Deprivation A CNN report describes a five-year educational initiative to promote healthful sleep habits in children. The program, cosponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (a component of the National Institutes of Health), Garfield creator Jim Davis's PAWS, Inc., and the National Sleep Foundation, target parents, teachers and health care providers.
• Snoring Tied to ADHD in Kids An article from MSNBC discusses research into the possible link between sleep disorders and such hyperactivity disorders as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Sleep and Behavior Problems in School-Aged Children This abstract of an article about sleep problems in children ages 4-12 was published in the Journal of Pediatrics in 2001.
• Guide to Your Child's Sleep Order the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidebook about children's sleep.
• Common Sleep Problems An article from the American Academy of Pediatrics discusses common sleep problems in children.
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine Tips on sleep hygiene and a state-by-state listing of sleep centers where sleep disorders can be diagnosed and treated are provided by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
• Brain Activity Is Visibly Altered Following Sleep Deprivation This summary of an article about the effects of sleep deprivation on the brain was published in the journal Nature (February 10, 2000).
• Lack of Sleep Takes Toll on Brain Power: Tired Brains Try to Adapt, but Don't Learn Well The effects of too little sleep on the brain are discussed in this article.
• Hyper Kids -- Misplaced Blame: Hyperactivity and/or A.D.D. or Just Not Enough Sleep? This article looks at the relationship between sleep disruption and disruptive daytime behavior, which may be misdiagnosed as attention-deficit disorder (ADD).
• National Sleep Foundation The National Sleep Foundation conducts research and informs the public about sleep and sleep disorders. Some materials are available in Spanish. The site includes an extensive list of resources, such as international sleep organizations and community sleep centers throughout the United States.
• Children's Health: Sleep Deprivation This article provides a good summary of children's sleep needs. It includes suggestions for getting kids to bed earlier and a table listing average sleep requirements by age for children between the ages of 1 and 16.
• Sleepnet.com This site includes sleep disorder information, public forums, a sleep test, and sleep clinician links.

Article by Mary Daniels Brown
Education World®
Copyright © 2006 Education World

05/20/2002