*According to studies, if we put our kids (ages 7-11) to bed earlier, they are going to do better in school because their cognitive, emotional and physical development will benefit from the additional rest. So now the question is, what does earlier mean?
Researchers say children should be put to bed between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Its hard to even think about trying to put your kid to bed when the sun is still up. Heck, who can sleep, right?
But you can’t argue with the hard-core facts from proven research.
A 2012 Pediatrics study showed that kids, aged 7 to 11, who went to bed just one hour earlier for five nights a week were more alert and less irritable in school. The advantages are even greater for younger kids; a recent study of 18-month-old toddlers linked better “motor function, language, and social function” with heading to bed before 10 p.m.
Now I would be remiss if I didn’t admit how skeptical I was about this, and thinking about how cross-eyed some of our black kids would be looking at us, sending them to bed at say, 7 o’clock. Especially with older siblings in their respective rooms bumpin’ Beyonce or Kanye West like its nobody’s business.
So it really is a family thing.
But the early-to-bed scenario may not necessarily suit your child, or your family schedule. And a to each his own try-out is suggested because a variety of things can factor into whether this will work for your child. Things such as the age of your child, nap schedules and more can make a big difference.
Pediatrician Marc Weissbluth got the attention of parent, Melinda Wenner Moyer, who wrote an article in Slate magazine about “absurdly early bedtimes.” Moyer says parents should check out the doctor’s suggested technique.
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