AUGUST:
Back to School Health Toolkit
One of the most important things you can do to prepare your child for the school year is to develop healthy habits. Preparing them by promoting exercise and sleep will help them be successful in their education. Ensuring that they are up to date
on their immunizations and annual checkups will also help to prevent interruptions to their health and their schooling.
What do you need to know to effectively raise awareness about back to school health?
For kids who are preparing for the school year to start, the two most important health tips are: get enough exercise and get enough sleep.
- When children get enough exercise, this helps them to:
- Feel less stressed
- Feel better about themselves
- Be more prepared to learn
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Build strong muscles, bones, and joints
- Promote better sleep
- Besides exercise, sleep is the other critical element of good health for children. Some important facts and tips include:
- School-aged children and teens need at least 9 hours of sleep at night.
- Poor sleep can lead to elevated blood pressure.
- Setting a sleep schedule promotes healthy sleep patterns.
- Maintain bedroom temperatures on the cool side during the night.
- Leave TVs and computers outside the bedroom as they can be a distraction.
(Sources: medlineplus.gov)