Sleep depreivation caused by parent

[meandrew13]

I mentor an 8 year old girl in 3rd grade.  She ended 2nd grade with 3 Fs and 3ds.  Her older (15) sister (an excellent student) plays four night soccer games each week and the mother insists that the whole family - my mentee included - attend all games. This gets my mentee to bed between 11 and 12 these nights.  Since starting school she has fallen asleep in class 4 times that I know of.  She has also fallen asleep several time during our reading mentoring sessions.  She is tired much of the time.  What can I tell this thoughless mother will be all the possible health consequences on this 8 year old if this practice continues?  Mother says if the 15 year old can do it so can my mentee.  The 15 year old seems to be one of these people who get along on little sleep, but my mentee can't.  Please advise me as I think this poses serious problems for this little girl not only in school now but longer term.

Andrew Swanson
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[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

For good physical and menatl health, a child this age should be receiving eleven hours of sleep each night, or as close to that as possible. The situation you describe is definitely not reasonable. It is highly unusual for a child so young to fall asleep in school. When that occurs, it is a sure sign of illness or lack of adequate sleep. Now, you are not the parent, and ultimately the situation will not be decided by you. But, in a calm, supportive way, try to advocate for a better sleep schedule for this little girl. You may be able to enlist the help of one of the teachers as well. Many parents are well intentioned, but they have limited knowledge iof how much sleep children require. Many children in this country get to bed too late, and would do better in school, with friends and in the family if they were receiving adequate sleep.