Untitled Document
 What
time do you go to sleep at night? Do your parents tell you when to
go to sleep, or can you stay up as late as you want?
Even though it’s fun to stay up late, a British study found that late
nights can weaken your brain. Young children who sleep later than
10 pm or don’t have a regular bedtime scored lower
on schoolwork, in subjects such as math and
reading. If you don’t get enough sleep, your brain won’t learn new
information easily.
The researchers surveyed children aged three,
five, and seven. They found out how well they learned, and how their
sleeping habits affected their learning.
Throughout the study, researchers found that one in five three-year-olds
went to bed at different times. However, most children by the age
of seven have a regular bedtime between 7:30 and 8:30. If children
do not have regular bedtimes, their scores in academics and spatial awareness are worse than
children who have regular bedtimes. The study showed that this was
seen more in the early childhood of girls than boys.
 However,
according to lead researcher Amanda Sacker, varied bedtimes were a reflection
of problems in the family and this had a greater impact on the children, not
their sleeping patterns. Children with late bedtimes came from parents
from socially disadvantaged backgrounds; the type of
parents who don’t read to their children at night and watched more
television.
“At first glance, this research might seem to suggest that less sleep makes
children less intelligent, however, it is clearly more complicated than that,” said
Dr. Robert Scott-Jupp of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Heath.
But, either way, he still believes that children should still get
a good night’s sleep if they want to perform their best! |
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