Sleep is an important feature of children’s development although many children experience sleep problems (i.e., short duration, poor quality). Some researchers estimate that 40 percent of school-aged children do not obtain the recommended number of hours of sleep. This can be problematic given that insufficient sleep duration is related to a variety of poor health and negative learning outcomes. Moreover, research suggests that poor sleep efficiency, or increased waking throughout the duration of sleep can hinder learning capacity and school performance.
For example, children who experience sleep problems may have difficulty working productively in groups, staying on task, and enjoying the learning process. In contrast, there is some evidence that sleep duration is positively related to children’s ability to productively engage with peers and understand emotions.
Hence, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends the following daily sleep totals (including naps) for optimal health:
10-13 hours for 3-5 year-olds
9-12 hours for 6-12 year-olds, and
8-10 hours for 13-18 year-olds
ACHIEVEMENT HEIGHTS ACADEMY is a private online K12 STEAM school where we have highly qualified live instructors for all classes. We partner with parents and actively help students develop skills that support a well-rounded education. Moreover, we teach core content and an array of electives such as Piano, Violin, Guitar, Coding and Robotics and Graphic Arts.
Source: Valiente, C., Doane, L. D., Ruof, A., Rea-Sandin, G., Clifford, S., & Lemery-Chalfant, K. (2025). The Relations between Children's Sleep and School Engagement: Moderation by Socioeconomic Status and Sex. Social development (Oxford, England), 34(4), 10.1111/sode.70021. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.70021
