Waking up your child early may affect their learning

Prossy Lubega, a mother of two says she prefers transporting her children on a school van because of the nature of her job. She leaves for work early in the morning and goes back late in the night hence it is difficult to the children to school.

"I wake up as early as 5:00am and prepare the children so that they do not to miss the van. I do not have to worry because they reach school in time and return home safely in the evening when am still at work," says Lubega

How they are affected

However, according to Dr. Stella Bawadde, of Mukwaya General Hospital, children feel punished getting out of bed unwillingly, so early, when it is very cold and too dark, they hate it which affects their learning capability.

"Children should have eight hours of good rest and that morning sleep is very important because it freshens their minds," Bawadde advices.

Pruxedes Namaganda, a consultant pediatrician at Doctor's Plaza says you cannot cheat sleep, you can remain awake yet your brain is sleeping. She adds that having been forced out of bed miserable, children later become less interested in school, become lazy, more aggressive, not settled and have less concentration in class.

"When you wake up on the wrong side of the bed it is irritating. If I miss my morning sleep the all-day turns out bad, what of a child?" Namaganda wonders.

She adds that a person's retaining capacity decreases every after two hours of continuous working, so if you wake up with a tired brain, there are chances that your concentration will be low.

"You rather read less but have a brain which thinks and has a high recalling capacity," she emphasizes. 

She further explains that somehow their health is affected since they are in a hurry, they at times go without having breakfast which is the most important meal.