Principal's Post

December 1, 2023

A Message from Mrs. Kristie Autrey

REST & BE MERRY

Dear Families of Deyton,

When we think about being productive or practical, we imagine a person actively working rather than resting. But rest is an essential part of performing well. Students are so busy with extracurricular activities (which are wonderful) that intentional rest can be forgotten. Rest periods can help our children be more motivated, boost creativity, and increase problem-solving skills at school and at home.

Children need sleep, plain and simple. We all do. Without enough sleep, we get cranky and, with time, unhealthy. But for children, it's crucial because the effects of sleep deprivation can lead to lifelong problems.

How much sleep does your child need?

Grade school-aged children: 9 to 12 hours
Teens: 8 to 10 hours

Four ways to encourage rest:

Make sleep a priority. Just like you schedule time for homework, sports, and other activities, schedule time for rest. Literally. Start when your child needs to get up in the morning, then count back the hours your child needs to sleep… and set a non-negotiable bedtime. For tweens and teens, this may lead to some tough conversations and decisions about schedules and activities and may mean cutting back on some activities, finding ways to get homework done earlier, and pushing some leisure activities (like video games) to weekends.
Start the bedtime routine earlier. None of us can go right from a physically or mentally intense activity right to sleep. If bedtime is 9:00 pm, your child needs to start winding down between 8 and 8:30 to be ready to fall asleep at 9.
Shut off the screens. The blue light emitted from screens can wake up the brain and make it harder to fall asleep. This is particularly true for "small screens" such as phones or tablets held closer to the face. Shut them off an hour before you want your child to be asleep. Phones should be charged outside the bedroom — or, at the very least, put in Do Not Disturb mode. If your child tries to tell you they need their phone to wake them up in the morning, buy them an alarm clock.
Keep the same sleep routines on weekends and vacations. A little leeway is okay, like staying up an hour or so later if your child can and will sleep later in the morning (if you have one of those kids who is up at dawn no matter what, staying up later may not work out so well). It throws our bodies off when our sleep schedules change; we do much better when they stay the same.

It's been said, many times, many ways, but we still mean it just as much! ... Merry Christmas to you! We hope all your warmest wishes come true. All our love to the North Pole and back. Rest and enjoy special time with family and friends.

~ Kristie Autrey

Claire McCarthy, M. (2020, August 16). 4 ways to help your child get enough sleep. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/four-ways-to-help-your-child-get-enough-sleep-2017092612472