Sleep & Children's Wellbeing

Healthy sleep is one of the most important building blocks for the health of children, as it influences how they develop, learn and cope with everyday life. However, most healthy lifestyle promotion focuses on balanced diets and regular exercise, not sleep.

The simple act of getting enough rest is just as important as lack can have profound consequences on learning and emotional health.

Sleep is not simply ‘downtime.’ It’s an active process that supports brain development, emotional regulation, and memory consolidation. During deep sleep, the brain sorts and stores information gathered during the day, a crucial step for learning and problem-solving. In the later stages of sleep, known as REM sleep, emotional experiences are processed and integrated. This helps children to manage stress and maintain stable moods.

Recent research has explicitly linked the connection between sleep and well-being. In one study findings showed that children and teenagers who had poor sleep were far more likely to experience anxiety, low mood and behavioural problems, even when other factors such as family stress were considered. The conclusion was straightforward: poor sleep does not just make children tired; it can affect their whole emotional world.

The Developing Brain

Developing brains need sleep to grow normally. The 2025 study by the University of Cambridge and Fudan University found that teenagers who slept even modestly more, in some cases just fifteen extra minutes per night, showed improved memory and reasoning skills. Brain scans further showed that young people with more regular, early bedtimes formed of a development in the brain’s pre-cortex region which was much farther advanced than those who went to bed late.

These small variations have measurable effects on cognitive outcomes, suggesting that the brain’s architecture continues to rely on high-quality sleep throughout adolescence. Researchers described sleep as ‘an essential nutrient for the brain,’ vital for its ongoing development and for laying the foundations of emotional resilience.

Anyone who has witnessed a sleep-deprived child understands how quickly tiredness can lead to tears or anger. When we don’t sleep, the part of the brain that manages emotions struggles to control the body’s stress response. The result is heightened reactivity, irritability, and difficulty in managing stress.

This can have real classroom consequences. Sleep-deprived pupils are more likely to struggle with attention, organisation, and social interactions. Teachers often report that children who regularly come to school tired are more prone to conflict with peers and slower to recover from setbacks. Over time, poor sleep can mimic or worsen symptoms of anxiety, ADHD, or low mood, creating a cycle that is difficult to break.

Sleep is closely linked and affects learning. While we sleep at night, our brains are busy replaying everything learned that day. This process makes connections between short-term episodes and general understanding of the world more solid. Interrupting that process makes it more difficult to remember facts, follow a logical argument or undertake coherent analysis.

A 2025 BMJ Paediatrics Open review found consistent evidence that adequate sleep improved academic performance across subjects. Insufficient sleep was linked to lower test scores, poorer motivation, and reduced engagement in school life. Importantly, the study emphasised that the quality of sleep, not just the number of hours, matters. Children who fall asleep easily, stay asleep, and wake rested perform better than those with disrupted nights.

For teenagers whose natural sleep rhythms shift later during puberty, early school start times can worsen the problem. The review suggested that even modest changes, such as delaying start times by 30 minutes or promoting earlier bedtimes, can boost concentration, attendance, and mood.

Mental Health and Sleep

The relationship between sleep and mental health is complex and reciprocal. Poor sleep can trigger or exacerbate emotional problems. Anxiety, depression, and stress can also make it harder to sleep. For some young people, insomnia becomes both a symptom and a cause of mental distress.

Nights may be especially hard for children who are anxious or have experienced trauma. Bedtime can be made to feel safer with gentle routines, calm reassurance and relaxation techniques. In more extreme cases, professional help might be required to deal with both the emotional and sleep dimensions of this issue.

NHS data shows an increasing number of children find it difficult to sleep. Contributing factors include stress, a growing reliance on social media and mobile phone use / alerts at night and disturbing online content. The message this presents is clear: reducing evening screen time, avoiding caffeine, and maintaining consistent bedtimes can quickly positively impact and make a measurable difference to mood and behaviour.

Helping Children Sleep Better

Schools also play an important role. Embedding lessons about sleep into PSHE or wellbeing curriculum, allowing short ‘quiet reflection’ periods, and maintaining awareness of sleep’s impact on behaviour can help normalise healthy habits.

If a child consistently lies awake for hours, wakes frequently during the night or feels tired despite getting plenty of sleep, it’s time to seek advice. Obstructive sleep apnoea, restless-legs syndrome or delayed sleep phase disorder can be diagnosed and treated by a GP or paediatrician.

For older teenagers, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) has been shown to help return sleep to normal and reduce anxiety. A simple sleep diary, such as recording bedtimes, wake-ups and patterns, can help professionals obtain valuable clues.

Valuing Rest in a Busy World

The most difficult shift may be a cultural one, valuing rest and good sleep. The benefits are clear- protecting children’s sleep is one of the easiest, most powerful ways to boost their mental health, promote resilience and enhance learning.

SSS Learning

19 January 2026