The Huffington Post – Sarah DiGiulio
“Here’s one more reason kids’ bedtimes matter so much. A new study published in the journal Sleep Medicine found that teaching kids about the importance of sleep allowed them to get nearly 20 minutes more of it per night. What’s more, to the researchers’ surprise, that extra 20 minutes in bed yielded higher grades in both math and English on students’ report cards. According to its author, this study sends a clear message to parents to prioritize their kids’ sleep. “Sleep should not be negotiated every night, and there should be a consistent bedtime every night. Teach kids that sleep is a priority,” advised psychologist Reut Gruber, director of the Attention Behavior and Sleep Lab at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and associate professor in faculty of medicine at McGill University in Montreal. “Make sure kids go to bed at a time that allows them sufficient sleep duration, even in the presence of competing activities and priorities,” she added.”(more)