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Terry Vine/Getty Images (girl in dark); Elena M. Tarasova/Shutterstock.com (girl sleeping)
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Should Bedtime Be Later?
For millions of kids, going to school looks different right now than it used to. Their “classrooms” are now bedrooms, living rooms, or kitchens! That’s because many students are learning from home as schools work to prevent Covid-19 from spreading. With new routines in place, many kids now have later bedtimes.
Some doctors say it’s OK to go to bed a bit later—as long as you sleep later in the morning. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that fourth-graders get between 9 and 12 hours of sleep per night. Some experts add that kids should return to their usual bedtime a few days before they go back to their regular in-school routine.
But other people argue that kids should stick to the same sleep schedule so their bodies don’t need to readjust. Experts have found that elementary school students who stay up later than 9 p.m. tend not to get enough rest. That can make kids moody and less focused.
Here’s what two of our readers think.
Kids should be able to go to sleep later if they’re doing distance learning. After all, they don’t have to wake up as early as they used to. There’s no need to spend a lot of time getting dressed or driving to school. That saves a lot of time.
Going to bed later also gives us more time to do the things we love to do. These past few months have been stressful. An extra hour each night to watch movies with my family or play video games helps me relax.
Going to bed late makes it harder to get up in the morning. Even if you’re going to class in your living room, you still need to wake up pretty early. I try to keep a steady sleep schedule so I am rested and ready for the day. When I go to sleep later, I wake up feeling grouchy and tired and I can’t concentrate.
Plus, some health experts say that losing too much sleep can make it harder for your body to fight off illnesses.