Hackham East Primary School Newsletter

IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

T3 2025

Why is sleep important?

Getting the right amount of sleep and a good night's sleep has a positive impact on your child. 

Good-quality sleep helps your child: 

  • Concentrate
  • Remember things
  • Manage their emotions and behaviour
  • strengthens their immune system and reduces their risk of infection and illness

 

How much sleep does my child need?

  • At 5-11 years old, children need 9-11 hours sleep a night

 

What the kids in Years 4-6 at Hackham East have reported about their sleep

Sleep survey results (2025) from The Wellbeing and Engagement Collection Survey

 

Overall: Only 43% of Year 4–6 students report getting a healthy amount of sleep most nights (down 15% from the 2024 survey)

  • Year 4: Just 32% report healthy sleep
  • Year 5: Only 40% report healthy sleep
  • Year 6: Slightly better, with 58% reporting healthy sleep

 

How screens and digital technology affect sleep

  • Screen time and digital technology use before bed can affect how quickly your child falls asleep and how well they sleep
  • You can reduce these risks by stopping screens 1 hour before bed
  • Keep phones and other digital devices out of bedrooms at night
  • Your child might be tempted to stay up late to chat with friends or play games
  • Your child might be disturbed in the night by notifications, messages or calls

 

How to help your child sleep well

  • Have a family rule that mobile phones and other devices are left in a family room overnight
  • Encourage physical activity or play during the day
  • Engage in quiet activities in the hour before bedtime. This could be reading, listening to music or a podcast, colouring or drawing, playing a board game or cards
  • Have a predictable bedtime routine where your child does similar activities in roughly the same order each night before bed

 

Do you want to learn more about helping your child achieve good 

quality sleep?

The Murdoch Research Children’s Institute podcasts might be of interest with Professor Harriet Hiscock & Associate Professor Emma Sciberras give you easy to understand steps to improve sleep cycles and overall health. Covering the importance of sleep at each development stage and more common issues like snoring and sleep apnoea as well as looking into more specialised areas like sleep among children with ADHD or autism.

Please reach out if you would like any more information about supporting your child to improve their sleep.

Gill Dowd

Acting Coordinator Wellbeing and Aboriginal Education