Home » Education & Career » Education K-12 » Avoid C's and D's by Getting Enough Z's

Avoid C's and D's by Getting Enough Z's

© Dorothy Kropf

Avoid C's and D's by Getting Enough Z's

Let's face it, children have so much energy. Just when you think they're tired from playing sports all day, and playing games outside with their neighbors not to mention those squirmy movements they make while they watch the television, you think that your children would be so tired after dinner. Yet thousands of kids don't get enough rest, let alone enough sleep.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 60% of our children feel tired during the day and 15% are caught falling asleep in school. This fatigue syndrome that is creeping into our children's lives can affect their academic performance in school, their behavior and their health.

Sleep for children are just as important as food. Children need enough sleep everyday before they run across lack of concentration, crankiness and physical ailments. Just because you see your child running around full of energy doesn't mean he or she is not tired or couldn't use some rest.

Lack of Concentration

Children need to be able to focus their attention to the lesson plans in their classrooms everyday. A child who cannot concentrate and grasp the school's lesson plans is unfortunately a good candidate for poor literacy and academic performance not just for that school year alone but for subsequent school years to come. Parents need to understand that sleep or lack of it is one of the factors contributing to academic failures.

Crankiness or Frustrating Demeanor

Adults and other children are quick to label frustrated kids as "difficult" because they have low tolerance to rules, regulations and guidelines. It is understandable that certain kids have behavioral problems but not all of these behavioral problems constitute to "bad or difficult" temper or demeanor. It is the same with adults as it is with children. Lack of sleep can constitute to moodiness and impatience. So before you make a conclusion that your child is "difficult" maybe you can take another look at his or her sleeping patterns.

Physical Ailments

Sometimes teachers and parents make quick conclusions that there is the terrible "bug" or flu out there that got the children, making them miss one, two or even a whole week's worth of school. Children who lack sleep are more susceptible to getting ear infections, colds, coughs and flu's. Their resistance to the different viral and bacterial infections out there are weaker if kids don't get enough rest or sleep. Children who get enough rest or sleep are more likely to be "fighters" of the common colds, coughs, flu's and ear infections.

The copyright of the article Avoid C's and D's by Getting Enough Z's in Education K-12 is owned by Dorothy Kropf. Permission to republish Avoid C's and D's by Getting Enough Z's in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.