Does a good night's sleep matter for children?

A good night's rest promotes daytime alertness, school success, good health and weight control. The WebMD article "Good Sound Sleep for your Child"emphasizes that "Sleep is no less important than food, drink, or safety in the lives of children." Children require a sufficient amout of uninterrupted, good quality sleep for optimal alertness; sleep is also essential in nervous system development. The article continues, "Following are some observations from various studies...Small but constant deficits in sleep over time tend to have escalating and perhaps long-term effects on brain function. Children with highter IQs - in every age group studied - slept longer. For ADHD children, improvements in sleep dramatically improved peer relations and classroom performance. Healthey sleep positively affects neurologic development and appears to be the right medicine for the prevention of many learning and behavioral problems."