There’s nothing more important than a good night’s sleep.  When you get some sleep, your entire world changes.  The world is happier, health improves, outlook brightens, and things are generally awesome, even if you’re in a galaxy far far away.  However, when you don’t get a good night’s sleep, it can have a detrimental effect.  Nowhere is sleep more important than childhood because sleep schedules are related to learning skills.  Having an erratic sleep schedule may harm children’s ability to learn reading and math.

“The take-home message is really that routines really do seem to be important for children,” said Amanda Sacker, the University College London professor behind the study.  “Establishing a good bedtime routine early in childhood is probably best, but it’s never too late.”

So what’s the best bedtime, according to the researchers?  They suggest 21:00, or 9:00 PM to those of us in the United States who aren’t on military time.  However, it is suggested that the impairment in brain functioning isn’t from lack of sleep–though that can’t help–but due to instability in the family situation that leads to children having unmonitored access to televisions and no set bedtime.  Children need routine, and any bedtime routine tends to be a positive when it comes to promoting the development of the young.

Or, alternately, load your child up with caffeine like a normal parent.

Tags: human brain, the human brain, health news, unusual health news, cognition, mental health news, late nights sap children’s brain power, kids who go to bed later have lower math and reading scores, math and reading, education and sleep, sleep study, amanda sacker, university college london, unusual health news, brain functioning

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