Now, please do not misunderstand me. I am not implying that the richest kid on the block may struggle with insomnia, but research shows that children from poor homes are more vulnerable to sleepless nights. http://education.auburn.edu/news/2010/may/sleep.html
A child who is not sleeping at home will want to sleep in class. Even if they are managing to stay awake, the effects of a restless night impact the child's overall well being. Dr. Marc Weissbluth has a great discription of the impact of sleep and children. "Sleep is the power source that keeps your mind alert and calm. Every night and at every nap, sleep recharges the brain's battery. Sleeping well increases brainpower just as weight lifting builds stronger muscles, because sleeping well increases your attention span and allows you to be physically relaxed and mentally alert at the same time. Then you are at your personal best." http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/good-sound-sleep-for-children
Children of varying ages will require varying amounts of sleep. If you are in a preschool setting you can use white noise and soothing music during nap time. Unfortunately, outside of naptime for young children we, as teachers do not have much control over how much sleep a child gets at home. At a later time I will address what we can do to help mental alertness in our classroom.
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