Strict bedtimes give children healthy brains.
Children need strict bedtimes for the sake of their brains
The importance of sleep duration and quality on child development is well-established but a new study has found that kids from poorer families tend to have worse sleep and underdeveloped brains as a result of a more disrupted home life.
Boffins says that sticking to as many routines as possible - such as doing homework at the same time each day and eating dinner as a family every night - can protect youngsters from the harm caused by a lack of sleep.
Scientists collected data from 94 children between the ages of five and nine from a range of backgrounds and asked their parents detailed questions about their life, income and family routines and analysis revealed that less frequent routines were linked to shorter sleep on weeknights.
Dr. Emily Merz, of Colorado State University, said: "Socioeconomic disadvantage might interfere with the consistency of family routines - potentially increasing children's stress and reducing their sleep time."