Quality of sleep really affects kid's academic performance

Washington: A new study has revealed that school-aged kids' sound sleep is linked to better performance in mathematics, languages and so in future academic success.

The study led by McGill University and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute examined habitual sleep patterns of 75 healthy children 7-11 years of age for 5 nights with a wristwatch-like device, and correlated this with their report-card grades.

The research found that with greater sleep efficiency, the children did better in math and languages, but grades in science and art weren't affected.

Reut Gruber, a clinical child psychologist involved in the study said that the short or poor sleep is a significant risk factor for poor academic performance that is frequently ignored, and if the pediatrician doesn't ask about it, parents doesn't get to know about it,

Gruber added that regular screening for possible sleep issues is particularly important for students who exhibit difficulties in math, languages or reading.

The study reports is published in the journal Sleep Medicine.