How Sleep and Nutrition Encourages Your Child's Academic Success

As parents, you want your kids to have every opportunity for success in life.

As this month is Mental Health Awareness Month, we’d like to offer some education on two important factors that play critical roles in your child’s mental success: sleep and nutrition.

But did you know that sleep and nutrition also play a significant role in their academic success?

Let’s talk about how sleep and nutrition affect your child’s academic success. We’ll also give you some tips to improve their mental and physical wellness for a brighter academic future. 

How Does Sleep Affect Learning Ability?

Kids and teens who get less than 8 hours of sleep at night are more likely to get lower grades than their well-rested classmates.

When your kiddo is tired, their cognitive abilities — memory, creativity, decision-making — are affected. And when focusing on school subjects, they may appear moody, cranky, or frustrated due to a lack of ability to concentrate.

Studies show that longer and better-quality sleep aligns with better academic performance, such as school grades and study effort. Sleep also helps with memory consolidation, allowing your child to recall what they’ve studied, which is critical for successful academic performance. Especially when it comes to exams.

The more your child learns in school, the more they need to sleep. So, a good night’s sleep is critical for your child to achieve success at school. 

How Does Nutrition Affect Learning? 

Nutrition is an essential piece of the brain development puzzle. We’ve all heard about the so-called “brain foods” out there, but the things we eat really do have a significant impact on our brain functionality.

Your child’s diet directly affects cognitive functioning abilities and academic success. Recent studies show that nutrition affects students’ thinking skills, behavior, and health, all factors that impact academic performance.

Sleep, Nutrition, & Exams

Did you know that researchers even found that a high-quality diet is associated with better performance on exams?

Studies have shown that when children are given access to fruits, vegetables and other healthy food options their academic performance increases. The same goes for breakfast – kids having a healthy breakfast at the beginning of each day will give them more energy so they can focus on learning during class or at home, especially for their exams!

Also sleep itself can pay off nights– even weeks – before an exam. In a study conducted by MIT and Harvard, researchers discovered that those who slept longer and enjoyed better sleep quality in the week and the month before an exam earned better grades.

A good night’s sleep will help your child feel rested and alert, while a healthy meal will provide the energy and nutrients their brain needs to function at their best. So, if your child is facing exams, make sure they’re getting enough sleep and eating well – it could make all the difference to their results. 

What Should You Do Now?  

Given what you’ve learned, how can you improve your child’s performance?

  1. Make it a priority for your kids to get enough sleep, at least 8 hours. You can set a bedtime routine and give them relaxing activities to help your kids wind down.
  2. Provide a balanced diet for better behaviors and learning environments. Have them eat nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and those rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
  3. Contact us for help!

We offer private education and tutoring services that include:

Private education

  • Curriculum implementation
  • Full curriculum development as well as public, private, and homeschool programs
  • A small student to teacher ratio to ensure our students receive adequate and individualized attention

Tutoring services

  • Sustainable Learning Practices
  • Science
  • English, Literature, and Arts (ELA)
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies

Let Us Help

Sleep and nutrition are two important factors when it comes to learning, but they’re not the only ones.

If you want your child to get the most out of their education, consider our tutoring services.

We can help them improve their academic performance in a variety of subjects. Contact us today at (985) 373-6590 or through our form to learn more!