| By Healthy Eagle staff |
March 2021 … Getting a good night’s sleep is important because your body needs to rest for the next day, a doctor at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children recently told the Healthy Eagle staff.
“When you’re sleeping is when you’re doing most of your growing and [when] your cells recharge,” said Dr. Priya Vyas, a pediatric resident. A pediatric resident is training to work as a children’s doctor.
The pandemic changed many students’ sleeping habits, she said. Many are getting up later in the morning. They are not going to the bus stop or walking to school in the morning. They are possibly going to sleep later at night, Dr. Vyas said.
Kids ages 5 to 12 should be getting between nine and 12 hours of sleep each night, according to kidshealth.org, an award-winning website about children’s health.
Getting enough sleep helps you to be in a good mood and can help you to think more clearly, according to the website.
“Researchers believe too little sleep can affect growth and your immune system” according to kidshealth.org. The immune system fights off sickness and keeps you healthy.
“If you don’t get enough sleep and you’re tired, you can’t do all the things you want to do during the day. … [You] can’t participate or play games,” Dr. Vyas said.
In order to get good sleep, kidshealth.org says, don’t watch scary movies or exercise right before bed. Try to go to bed at the same time each night, because it helps your body get into a routine. Avoid drinking sodas and other beverages with caffeine because they can keep you up at night.
Dr. Vyas suggested sleeping in a comfortable bed in a dark room for good sleep.
“The goal is to sleep the same every night, because going to sleep at the same time and waking up at the same time helps you to fall asleep faster,” she said. “Sometimes if you don’t have that routine, it can take you a long time to fall asleep at night.”
Mrs. Washington-Leslie’s fourth-grade classroom serves on the staff of the James Logan Healthy Eagle in Philadelphia.