I just read an article about the importance of sleep in children. The article stated that the expects recommend 9-11 hours of sleep for an elementary age child. With today’s child being overloaded with increased school assignments, after school activities, and just the social pressure, sleep is needed to rejuvenate their mind and body. I work with students every day that are so sleep deprived, they can’t concentrate on their class work. When asked about their bedtime, they usually say they watch TV in their rooms until 11 or 12 at night. So it’s no wonder why they are cranky and resistive to get out of bed at 7 in the morning. They are still tired. And then have to go to school and be expected to pay attention for up to 6 hours of academics. They are just not getting enough fuel to get them moving and last throughout the day. I would say that our children getting enough sleep isn’t just important it’s a vital component of their success..