Now that the time change has gone into effect, it’s a perfect opportunity to be reminded about the importance of good sleep. Children require 10-12 hours of sleep each night, and if your child uses a nightlight this research may be of even more interest to you.

A recent study out of Ohio State University found that the color of the nightlight affected the mood of hamsters. The little critters who were exposed to blue or white light at night exhibited more depressive-like symptoms and depression-related changes in the brain than those exposed to red light.

The findings suggest that exposing the brain to brighter light in the sleeping hours could result in negative effects on health. You may even consider changing the bathroom nightlight to a red bulb. “Light at night may result in parts of the brain regulating mood receiving signals during time of the day when they shouldn’t,” Tracy Bedrosian, a co-author of the study, suggested. “This may be why light at night seems to be linked to depression in some people.”

Now that the kids are a bit more willing to go to bed as it turns darker earlier, it is important that parents look after their brain health, even during sleep. Camp Academia has experienced much success with children who have sleep issues. Brainjogging each and every day can improve academic, athletic and emotional health and well-being! 5-7 minutes twice a day is all it takes to improve a child’s brain effectiveness!

Departing summer hath assumed
An aspect tenderly illumed,
The gentlest look of spring;
That calls from yonder leafy shade
Unfaded, yet prepared to fade,
A timely carolling.
– William Wordsworth, September

It’s that time of year! Time to gear up the back-to-school brains, thinking of lists and clothes and activities and forms. As September fast approaches, there are several things you can do now to help your child ease into a new academic year:

Retrain the Body Clock – begin that evening routine. It can be as simple as bathing, brushing teeth, and being in bed with a good book by a specific time;
Cut Off Screen Time – shut down phones and electronics after the dinner hour, providing at least two hours of no stimulation prior to bedtime;
Reward Routine – for every day your child follows the routine, add marbles to a jar or points to a chart. After so many marbles/points, allow your child to pick out his/her favorite cereal or morning breakfast favorite to start off the school year right!

The key is getting your child’s brain to start thinking about thinking! Morning and evening routines must be a part of the preparation for school. Brainjoggers can begin entering NEW VOCABULARY into word lists for the new school year! Get back into the habit of Brainjogging early in the morning and again in the afternoon. If you have suggestions, tricks, or new ideas for helping your school-aged child start off on the right foot, please send in your comments!

Good Luck out there, troops!

Getting your child to bed at the same time every night could give your child’s brain a boost, reports Researchers at University College London. They found that when 3-year olds have a regular bedtime, they perform better on cognitive tests administered at age 7 than children whose bedtimes were inconsistent. It did not matter whether children went to bed early or late – only that their bed TIME was regular.

Researchers suggested that having inconsistent bedtimes may hurt a child’s cognitive development by disrupting circadian rhythms. It may result in sleep deprivation and affect brain plasiticity at critical ages of brain development. If a child’s sleep is deprived AND inconsistent, the risk for cognitive impairments is even higher.

Researchers found that GIRLS were more negatively affected by this issue than boys. The difference in scores between groups of boys and girls were not statistically significant for reading and spatial tests, but math assessment outcomes were. So what can we do to prevent this?

Get your children going on pre-bedtime routines now before school begins. In order to keep the body’s internal clock in sync with the brain, bedtimes on weekends and in the summer should only be one hour off the normal time. The brain needs that consistency in order to most effectively perform! Help your children develop this healthy habit!