New research claims that sleep problems may affect children's reading ability.
In a study published in the British Journal of Educational Psychology, which included 339 children aged four to 14 years, parents were asked to complete questionnaires about their children's sleep patterns while the children completed a test of reading efficiency.
Children whose parents reported increased sleep-disordered breathing, daytime sleepiness and a short time for children to fall asleep (which is generally associated with increased tiredness) had poorer performance on reading both words and non-words.
"Being a good reader is a strong predictor of academic success and improved life outcomes, so we recommend screening children with sleep problems for reading difficulties and children with reading difficulties for sleep problems," said corresponding author Anna Joyce, PhD of Regent's University London.
Anna added, "Screening and treating sleep and literacy difficulties at a young age could help improve life outcomes for all children."