How to organize a schoolchild's daily routine and why is sleep important?

Sleep deprivation is a modern problem that often affects busy people, students and even schoolchildren.

Dr. Reut Gruber, head of the Sleep and Behavior Laboratory at the Research Center in Quebec, Canada, decided to study the effect of sleep duration on children's behavior and learning ability. The scientists were especially interested in young school-age children.

Thirty-four schoolchildren aged seven to eleven took part in the experiment. The children were absolutely healthy and had no problems with behavior or sleep.

The experiment lasted a week. During the experiment, some children went to bed earlier than usual, while others went to bed later. During school, teachers did not know who was getting what amount of sleep. They noted the children's progress and their behavior in class.

As a result, it turned out that those children who slept less were more impulsive, irritable and tired, and found it difficult to concentrate on the task. But the schoolchildren who got more sleep, on the contrary, showed good results both in learning and in behavior - they were more concentrated and could better manage their emotions.

In order for a schoolchild to have no problems with learning and to be able to master the granite of science, parents should properly organize the child’s daily routine.

How to properly organize a daily routine for a schoolchild?

The optimal sleep time for children aged 7-15 is 9-10 hours. Their daily routine should not consist only of studying - first classes at school, and then homework at home. Work and rest should alternate. Also, an integral part of the normal routine is observing the time of going to bed and getting up in the morning. The child should spend as much time as possible in the fresh air. The following main factors can be identified that affect performance during the day, and are also the key to a healthy, active life of a schoolchild:

• Mental activity alternating with active rest.
• Maximize your outdoor time
• Regular nutrition that provides the body with the necessary amount of vitamins and microelements
• A good night's sleep
• Individual activity of the child's choice

If you are going to implement your plans and finally develop a normal daily routine, try to outline a preliminary plan of action:

We start the morning with exercise

Morning physical exercises will help you shake off sleep and finally perk up. The duration of the exercises is from 10 to 30 minutes.

Breakfast

A schoolchild must have breakfast, because the morning meal is very important for the health and mental abilities of the child. The intensive educational program requires significant energy expenditure, so the diet of schoolchildren must correspond to how much he puts out during the day.

Lunch and rest after classes

After having had a snack, the child must definitely rest, but this should not be done in front of the TV or with a book in hand; it is best to spend an hour or an hour and a half actively in the fresh air.

Home activities

The optimal time for solving homework assignments is from 4 to 6 p.m., which corresponds to the physiological rhythm of the best information absorption. It is better to prepare lessons in silence, so that nothing interferes with concentration and does not additionally burden the brain.

Free time

You can set aside one and a half to two hours for activities of interest. Unfortunately, the day is not elastic and it is impossible to fit in training and a sufficient amount of time for entertainment.

Dream

To ensure that your child falls asleep quickly and wakes up easily and pleasantly, it is important to stick to a routine – go to bed and get up at the same time.