Sleeping is a crucial aspect of life for all human beings. But, it is even more essential for a growing child. Sleep has beneficial effects on health, emotions, memory, and academic potential.

Inadequate sleep, however, can negatively affect our well-being, decision-making, and attention, all of which are necessary for success in school. Our teachers at Paramount Montessori recommend, young children need at least 12 hours of sleep in order to function properly in school.  And, we have seen a few negative effects in school from lack of sleep in our students.

3 common behavior problems that our Morrisville Montessori teachers have seen as a lack of sleep are:

1. Attention: Lack of sleep causes a child to have difficulty listening to detailed instructions or focusing on planned activities; the child is slow to react to a question and has trouble with time management and task prioritization.
2. Cognitive Functioning: A 1998 study published in Sleep journal showed that just one night of insufficient sleep impaired verbal creativity and abstract thinking in children.
3. Memory consolidation: Almost everything a preschooler learns is new, REM sleep helps to solidify this information in his/her brain.
4. Emotional Outbursts: Preschoolers who skimp on sleep are much less able to control their emotions. They may be more prone to irritability, constant crying, temper tantrums, low patience and some even endure hyperactivity.

Sleep is critical to a child’s success at school.  At Paramount Montessori, we see the negative impact of less sleep, not just on the one child but the disruption it causes on the entire class.  Paramount Montessori has seen that developing a schedule during the day and learning has helped sleep at nighttime much easier on young children. Learn more about our programs now!

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