School-age children, in particular, are tasked with absorbing and consolidating vast amounts of new information daily. Sleep acts as a vital link connecting a child’s brain health and academic performance. However, their sleep patterns and requirements differ significantly from those of adults. The amount of sleep a person needs varies, with children needing substantially more rest than adults. Recommended sleep durations by age are as follows: ages 1-5 years require 10-14 hours (including naps), ages 6-12 years need 9-12 hours, ages 13-18 years should get 8-10 hours, and adults generally need 7-9 hours per day.
Slow-wave sleep (SWS), or deep sleep, is the third stage (N3) of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, predominantly occurring in the early hours of the sleep cycle. Children experience more SWS compared to adults, which might explain why waking them can be particularly challenging. As individuals transition from childhood through puberty into adulthood, the amount of SWS they obtain decreases.
