Healthy sleep vital to kids’ health

Many kids may be having a tough time getting into that back-to-school sleep routine. Healthy sleep is vital to children’s well-being.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says students who get the recommended amount of sleep on a regular basis are more likely to have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, quality of life and mental and physical health.

Experts say getting back on a regular sleep schedule for children after the summer break is important.
Families can take one day at a time.

So how much sleep does your child need?

Here is what the American Academy Of Sleep Medicine recommends:

Pre-schoolers will need to sleep 10 to 13 hours a night, six to 12-year-olds will need nine to 12 hours, teenagers will need eight to 10 hours of sleep.

However, most American children and teens don’t sleep enough. Nearly six in 10 middle schoolers and at least seven in 10 high schoolers don’t sleep enough on school nights.

Of the high school students surveyed by the CDC, almost two-thirds sleep less than eight hours nightly.