Researchers have found that children with good eating and sleeping habits tend to fare better in school and get higher grades.
It is very necessary to inculcate good habits in children, right from their early days. These not only make them better people but also have various added benefits. In a study conducted by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), experts found that children who sleep and eat well are more likely to fare better and get higher grades in school.
"Your brain can't work if you're not consuming enough calories, and in general that's not a problem," explained Krista Casazza, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences, in a press release. "But when kids go to school without eating breakfast, their cognitive function can be affected."
According to Casazza, kids should avoid sugary cereals in the morning because they first cause a sugar high and then a crash. Instead, they should start the day by eating fruits, proteins and whole grains. These food items provide the body with adequate fuel to sustain a child's attention level till he/she eats at lunch again.
Most often eating a healthy lunch keeps children full till dinner time. However, in case they want to eat something before dinner, Casazza suggests feeding them yogurt, fruits and veggies, or even baked chips in moderate quantities.
Apart from eating healthy, researchers emphasized on the importance of good sleeping habits.
"Children need a good night's sleep for their overall school performance," said Kristin Avis, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine. "Lack of sleep can lead to problems with attention and memory in the classroom; affect impulse control and mood regulation lead to anxiety and even depression."
According to the study, children in the age group 12 to 18 should typically get 9 hours of sleep per night, but currently get an average of a little more than seven hours of sleep per night.
Avis said that most parents live with the misconception that one hour of sleep loss doesn't matter. However, Avis reveals that it does and can affect a child's performance the next day.
"If kids sleep in Saturday, they have a hard time going to bed Saturday night; so they sleep in Sunday and have a hard time going to bed Sunday night," Avis said. "Monday morning they are tired, and it's hard to wake up for school. They struggle to get back on a good sleep schedule."
