Sleep is important to everyone, especially school children. The average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep a night but the average school children need 10+. Without proper sleep it hampers their mental and physical development. There are many difficulties at this age with proper sleep such as inability to fall asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, nightmares and even sleep walking.
There are a few warning signs to pay attention to when children aren’t getting enough sleep.
Are they constantly getting up and out of bed? They can have a short attention span or may be irritable during the day. You can notice these signs by how they behave with other students, if they constantly get in fights with other students or show a lack of attention during class then they might not have gotten their allotted 10 hours for the night.
There are a few things you can do to maintain a good sleep schedule.
Take a look around the bedroom to make sure that it is not too hot or cold. Make sure they have a night light if they are frightened by nightmares. If you have a nightlight make sure it is not too bright. It’s tough to sleep when you have what seems to be a lighthouse inside your room.
It’s best if there are no distractions such as a TV or video games in the room. It’s very easy for children to get distracted and start watching a DVD or playing Xbox.

If the kids are tired they will usually fall asleep with no problems. 2-3 hours of exercise a day (soccer or basketball will work) will zonk out most kids and allow them to sleep restful for the night, just make sure that they’re not exercising right before bedtime.
If they watch TV before bed keep an eye on what they watch, if it’s a violent or scary program then it could cause them to have nightmares. Young kids have trouble telling what is fake on TV and what is actually real. Even the nightly news can upset kids.
If you notice your child have sleep problems then you should discuss with them what it is that is bother them. A little dialogue will help assuage their worries and allow them to enjoy their restful nights sleep. Remember you were a kid once and you had problems sleeping, what did you parents do for you to help with those problems?