The Surprising Power of Sleep for Your Child’s Growing Brain

As every parent knows, when kids are well-rested, the whole family feels it. Mornings are smoother, moods improve and cooperation increases as everyone hustles to get out the door on time. But there’s something even more important at stake.

Growing research shows that when kids don’t get enough sleep, they don’t just wake up groggy—they wake up at a disadvantage. It makes it harder for them to think clearly, pay attention and retain what they’ve learned. Read on to discover how sleep is critical to a child’s growing brain.

Why Sleep is More Than Just Rest

In today’s busy world, sleep often gets squeezed out. Parents are stretched thin and kids are overscheduled. Late bedtimes, homework and screen time often push sleep further and further down the priority list. It’s easy to assume a little lost sleep won’t hurt. However, science is clear: even small amounts of sleep loss make it more difficult for children to focus and learn. That’s because sleep isn’t just about rest.

During sleeping hours, a child’s brain is hard at work sorting, resetting and growing. In fact, a team of researchers led by Dr. Ze Wang at University of Maryland School of Medicine found that children who consistently got less than nine hours of sleep had smaller brain volume in key areas related to attention, memory and self-control.

“These differences persisted after two years,” says Dr. Wang, “a concerning finding that suggests long-term harm for those who do not get enough sleep.”

What Sleep Deprivation Looks Like in Kids

Sleep-deprived kids don’t behave like sleepy adults. While grown-ups tend to slow down when tired, kids often speed up—becoming extra silly, impulsive or wild. It can look like they’re full of energy, but in reality, their brains are struggling to keep up.

As sleep researcher Dr. Charles Czeisler explains in the book Stolen Focus by Johann Hari: “We’re chronically sleep-depriving [kids], so it’s no shock they’re exhibiting all the symptoms of sleep deficiency—the first and foremost of which is the inability to pay attention.”

How Sleep Helps Kids Learn, Remember and Reset

Sleep plays a key role in moving what kids learn during the day into longterm memory. It helps them lock in spelling words, understand math concepts and remember what happened in the story at school. Without enough sleep, kids’ brains can’t do that work. It’s like trying to save a file on a computer that’s about to shut down—it might not stick.

During deep sleep, cerebrospinal fluid rinses the brain and clears out metabolic waste—what University of Minnesota professor Roxanne Prichard jokingly calls brain-cell poop.

“If you can’t focus well,” says Prichard, “it might be you have too much brain-cell poop circulating— your brain is literally clogged up with toxins.” The less sleep children get, the less time their brains have to detox and reset for a new day.

Sleep Supports Emotional Resilience

Every parent knows that tired kids are more easily frustrated, more likely to cry and more likely to have a meltdown. Did you know sleep helps children build emotional resilience?

Some scientists believe this happens because during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep—especially in the later stages of the night—kids revisit stressful experiences in a calm, lowstress environment. It’s like the brain is practicing how to handle those moments better next time. If kids don’t sleep long enough to get into REM, that benefit disappears.

How Much Sleep Do Kids Need?

According to the National Sleep Foundation:

• Preschoolers (3–5 years): 10–13 hours

• School-age (6–13 years): 9–12 hours

• Teens (14–17 years): 8–10 hours Even one hour less than recommended can impact attention, behavior and learning.

Simple Tips to Help Kids Sleep Better

Here are a few ways to support healthy sleep habits:

• Make bedtime a family priority— not just something to squeeze in at the end of a busy day.

• Try to keep a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule, even on weekends.

• Create a calming wind-down routine, such as brushing teeth, reading books or listening to quiet music.

• Turn off screens at least one hour before bed and keep devices out of bedrooms.

• Keep bedroom temperatures cool—your body actually needs to drop a few degrees to fall asleep easily.

• Model healthy sleep habits—your kids are watching.

Another Way to Improve Focus: Read Books

Once your child is sleeping well, consider other ways to help improve focus. One simple method: Read more books—paper ones.

Literacy expert Anne Mangen found that reading print books trains the brain to focus in a steady, linear way— while screens train us to skim and jump around. “This scanning and skimming bleeds over,” she says. “That behavior becomes our default way of thinking.”

September is National Literacy Month. It’s the perfect time to pick up a favorite story, snuggle in and give your family the gift of sleep and focus—one page (and one bedtime) at a time. v

Jody Lee Cates is a local mom and award-winning writer. When she’s not writing about the big impact of small habits, she’s probably reminding someone to turn off the light and get some rest.