A Word from Mrs. Hawkins

Is Your Child Too Tired?

The bottom line is that as many as 80% of children don't get enough sleep. Look at all the temptations to stay up late--television, Internet attractions, computer games, good books, extra time with parents, and many after-school activities.

Behavioral problems or trouble at school may be a warning sign that your child is not getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep limits a child's ability to learn and make good choices.

Please look at the chart below for what to watch for and what to do.

Ages 3-5
Sleep Needed: 11-12 hours/day
He/She needs more if he/she has nighttime leg pains; falls asleep rapidly in the car; gets overly attached to a security object.
Solutions to Try: Enforce naptime even if child doesn't sleep; make more family time in the mornings or on weekends; limit bedtime rituals to 15 minutes at most.

Ages 6-8
Sleep Needed: 10-11 hours/day
He/She needs more if he/she is distractible, hyperactive, or doing poorly in school.
Solutions to Try: Stop non-essential after-school activities; remove TV from child's bedroom; ban video games before bed; forbid reading past bedtime.

Ages 9-12
Sleep Needed: 9-10 hours/day
He/She needs more if he/she is listless or surly: gets late-afternoon migraine-like headaches; is accident-prone.
Solutions to Try: Eliminate caffeinated drinks from late afternoon on; limit sleepovers to occasional weekends; improve study habits.

"Sometimes, kids are even misdiagnosed with an emotional or medical condition when the real cause is not enough sleep," says Will Wilkoff, MD, author of Is My Child Overtired? Specialists in children's sleep believe that many kids who are diagnosed with learning disabilities may actually be suffering from serious but undetected sleep deprivation.

Could your child have a sleep disorder? Maybe, if he/she...

• is easily frustrated when attempting to learn a new skill that is entirely age appropriate.
• races around energetically but becomes unglued when it's time to settle down and focus on a new or challenging activity.
• has difficulty learning, paying attention, or staying awake in class.
• goes to bed at an unreasonably early hour for someone his/her age, or stays up much later than you know he/she probably should.
• appears to have been up for who knows how long when you first greet him/her in the morning.
• routinely takes naps at least an hour long when arriving home from grade school.
• is typically groggy when he/she wakes--or during the day--despite having gotten what you consider to be a good night's sleep.

There's no substitute for paying attention!  Diane Sawyer

Wildcat Pawprints  

Information from each grade level taking turns month by month.

September - Preschool

October - Kindergarten

November - First Grade

December - Holiday Highlights

January - Second Grade

February - Third Grade

March - Fourth Grade

April - Fifth Grade

May - Finishing Strong