A lack of sleep is all too common among students, which can lead to falling asleep in school. What if instead of waking students up, teachers took a different approach and allowed students to sleep in class? 

It may sound counterintuitive, but research shows that allowing students to nap in class can positively impact their academic performance and overall health.

The Benefits of Sleep for Students

Sleep is essential for students’ physical and mental health. During sleep, the brain processes new information and consolidates memories, making it crucial for learning and academic success. 

Lack of sleep can have negative effects on students’ academic performance, as well as their mood, behaviour, and physical health.

Research has shown that sleep deprivation can lead to a host of negative outcomes, including:

• Impaired cognitive function and memory
• Decreased attention and focus
• Increased irritability and mood swings
• Higher risk of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases

Given the importance of sleep for students’ well-being, it’s not surprising that some educators are exploring ways to incorporate sleep into the school day.

The Science Behind Sleeping in Class: It’s Sometimes OK

One way that teachers can help their students get more sleep is by allowing naps in class. While sleeping in class may seem like a radical idea, some teachers are finding that dozing off during class might occasionally be in a student’s best interest, even if it means missing that day’s lesson. As some teachers have shown, empathy and leniency can be what students need more than a reminder about the in-class rules.

Sleep studies tell us that napping—even in class—can actually enhance academic performance and cognitive function.

Research shows that even short naps of 20-30 minutes can improve cognitive performance, attention, and memory retention. This is because sleep helps to reset the brain’s processing and consolidates new information, making it easier to remember and retain.

Napping can also have benefits for students’ physical health by lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, and boosting the immune system. All of these benefits can contribute to overall well-being and academic success.

It’s also important to remember that teens especially need more sleep. Research from Johns Hopkins shows that most teens need 9 to 9½ hours of sleep per night—that’s an hour or so more than they needed at age 10.

There are often many things going on in a student’s life at home that teachers might not be aware of. A student sleeping in class does not always mean apathy or lack of motivation. Sometimes, students need sleep more than they need anything else.

Need Help With Student Learning?  

Getting a good night’s rest plays a very important role in learning. If your child is dozing off during the day, try speaking with them to see if there might be any underlying issues that might be preventing them from getting a good night’s rest. 

If your child’s grades are slipping due to tiredness, we can help. 

Contact a location near you to get started today!

The post Does Your Student Sleep in Class? appeared first on Oxford Learning.

Nutrition and learning have a strong connection as well. Proper nutrition ensures students have the nutrients needed to learn at their best all day long!

Nutrition and Learning at School

Children use the majority of their daily energy at school. Therefore, when children experience a drop in energy levels and don’t eat to replenish their energy, it can affect their learning leading to:

• Mid-day slumps,
• Decreased attention spans,
• Impaired memory,
• Poor focus,
• Mental Health issues

Adolescence is a crucial time for brain development; therefore, high sugar consumption and the increase in stress hormones that follow may trigger mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression [source].

Eat Smarter! Food Tips for Better Learning

To maintain energy levels throughout the day, be sure to manage blood sugar levels to avoid crashes. For instance, start the day with a balanced breakfast and pack easy-yet-healthy snacks that your child can eat at school. Eating throughout the day keeps blood sugar up.

It can be a challenge to get kids to eat healthy so, get creative! For optimal learning at school, try to incorporate the following into your child’s diet each day:

1. Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids—found in oily fish, nuts, and seeds
2. Whole grains—found in brown rice, oatmeal, and specific bread and pasta
3. Calcium—found in dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables 
4. Choline—found in eggs
5. Zinc & Iron—lean meat
6. Antioxidants—vegetables, including everyone’s favourite, broccoli, and colourful fruits

Learn more about the effects of each nutrient here.

Learn to Subtract

Our brains shape themselves based on what we eat so it’s crucial to add foods to your child’s diet that will allow their body to perform at its best. But, it’s just as essential, if not more, to take away the foods that negatively affect growth and development. 

Sugars are the most common substance linked to behavioural and learning challenges. Other foods include:

• Fast foods
• Processed meats
• Red meat
• High-fat dairy products
• Sweets

It’s clear to see that nutrition and brain development are deeply connected. Making sure nutrition habits are as healthy as possible will go a long way when it comes to your child’s academic success!

Read more about Health, Nutrition and Learning

To learn more about brain growth and learning, check out the recommended blogs:

• IDENTIFYING SCHOOL STRESSORS
• WHAT’S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN POSTURE AND LEARNING?
• GET BETTER GRADES WITH MEDITATION
• HOW GRATITUDE HELPS STUDENTS SUCCEED
• SLEEP HABITS LEAD TO SCHOOL SUCCESS

The post What is the connection between nutrition and learning? appeared first on Oxford Learning.

Sleep Promotes Brain Growth

Children’s brains are in a growth stage until the age of 21. The majority of that growth occurs while children sleep, so even a short reduction in sleep time—even as little as 15 minutes—can negatively impact academic performance. An extra 15 minutes of sleep can mean the difference between an A and a B for teens! 

How to Improve Sleep Habits

• Set a consistent bedtime routine to wind down. Learn more about establishing a nightly routine.
• Create a comfortable environment to prevent tossing and turning at night.
• Reduce technology during your family’s nighttime routine. Screens emit blue light, which can suppress the sleep hormone melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep.
• Follow a sleep schedule, even on weekends!

Meditation Can Help With Brain Growth, Too!

A full night’s sleep is the best way to recharge the brain so it can properly process and store information, but did you know that meditation can help boost brain growth, too?

Meditation can help with relaxation (try it before bed!), stress management, improved memory, and more, which can help with better sleep habits and school performance! Understand the benefits and how to implement meditation into your child’s daily routine here. 

Oxford Learning’s customized learning programs help students unlearn bad study habits while providing support as students learn healthier habits and work toward achieving their dreams.

The post Positive Sleep Habits for Student Success appeared first on Oxford Learning.

Sleep habits and routines are important throughout life and play a major role in not only health and well-being but also in helping students of all ages be their best selves while learning.

Understanding the Sleep and Learning Process

Both the quality of sleep (how good) and quantity (how much) sleep a person gets at night affects learning processes and memory. According to Harvard Medical School, a healthy amount of rest helps improve learning and memory in two important ways:

1. Sleep Deprivation, Concentration, & Memory. Sleep deprivation affects concentration and memory. A person with sleep deprivation is unable to concentrate and therefore, unable to learn optimally.
2. Not Enough Sleep and Retention. Poor sleep habits that create a lack of restful sleep hinders memory and the process of retaining information.

Naps? Not Just for Preschoolers!

Children who take naps more often throughout the day or rest fully throughout the night were more likely to retain any information they learned post-nap and even into the following day!

University of Arizona 2017 study found that adequate sleep improves memory recall in young children, especially preschoolers.

Low-quality sleep or sleep deprivation affects mood, learning performance, the heart, and the brain. When a young learner is deprived of adequate sleep, their neurons no longer function effectively and they begin to lose access to information.

Better Sleep Habits—Tips for Students:

Here’s how to help children get eight hours of quality slumber every night.

• A Consistent Bedtime Routine. Setting a consistent bedtime routine for children is crucial to ensure their mind and body is prepared for sleep. They are able to settle down, relax and adapt to the schedule. A 20-minute pre-bedtime routine that consists of soothing activities such as brushing teeth, putting on PJs , a relaxing bath, and reading allows children to comfortably settle into the night. A routine presents children with a sense of comfort and familiarity to ensure they relax.
  
• Shut Off Technology: Electronic screens emit a blue light which can negatively impact a person’s ability to fall asleep. In fact, blue light exposure causes a shift in the circadian rhythm and suppresses melatonin. Instead of blue light, use dim red lights as night lights prior to sleep. Red lights are far less likely to impact the circadian rhythm and hinder melatonin. In addition, avoid looking directly at bright electronic screens at least three hours prior to sleeping. Read more about managing screen time.
  
• Create a Comfortable Environment: Without a comfortable room environment for children to sleep in, they’ll be more likely to toss and turn at night. Optimizing the bedroom is an integral part of the rest process to prevent distractions. Keep your child’s room at room temperature of around 65 degrees to allow their body and brain to cool down and relax.
  

When a young learner has a full eight hours of sleep, their brain and body are in optimal condition to learn. Access your child’s full, incredible potential with our engaging programs today!

The post Sleep Habits and Learning appeared first on Oxford Learning.

2. Poor Nutrition. Food is fuel—the better the quality, the better the performance. If children eat a sugar-filled breakfast, or skip breakfast altogether, they run the risk of performing less than optimally in school. Without proper nutrition, children can tire out and lose focus. Students should be focusing on their teacher, not on their rumbling bellies.

3. Too Much Screen Time. TVs, computers, and cell phones are distracting to students. Mounting evidence is showing that multitasking is not as good as was originally thought. When students are trying to do homework, having online access doesn’t necessarily improve their ability to work, and it can detract from their ability to focus on a single task for a period of time.

4. Procrastinating. Everybody likes to relax after school (or work). But from social lives to family responsibilities to sports and extra curricular activities, it can be tempting to leave homework until the last minute. Too many distractions, not following a schedule, or not using an agenda can put homework on the bottom of the priority list. When students put schoolwork on a backburner, it can lead to last-minute scrambles and late-night cram sessions, neither of which pay-off in the classroom.

5. Not Getting Help. One of the biggest mistakes that students make is waiting until the last minute to seek help. Often the first report card is the first indicator that something may be getting off-track, but it can take a call from the teacher or a failing grade before students seek out support. At that point it will take more effort to correct the problem than if a student had asked for help at the “I’m-not-really-understanding-this stage.”

Oxford Learning has great programs to help students get rid of bad habits and get on track for a better school year. Contact an Oxford Learning location near you to find out how your child can ditch bad school habits for good.

The post 5 Habits That Can Ruin a School Year appeared first on Oxford Learning.