Bedtime routine ''helps boost achievement levels''
03/01/2012
Sending your child to bed at the same time every night may have more benefits than you first realise, if new research is to be believed.
Carried out by the Prince's Trust, the study found that a quarter of people between the ages of 16 and 25 had no set bedtime as they were growing up.
People with poor exam grades were found to be twice as likely to have a lack of structure in their day compared to those who followed a strict routine.
Just over a quarter (27 per cent) of those polled didn't grow up with a set bedtime, which increased to 39 per cent among those who finished school with fewer than five good GCSEs.
In addition to this, 14 per cent of the group said they had grown up without set meal times, compared to 30 per cent of those with poor exam grades.
Researchers analysed their findings to suggest that a lack of structure and direction in early life made young people less confident than their peers.
Princes Trust chief executive Martina Milburn commented: "The absence of structure and routine in a young life can have a devastating impact.
"Without the right support, directionless teenagers can become lost young adults - unconfident, under-qualified and unemployed."
Additional results from the study found that almost a third of young people often feel down or depressed, while one in five said they felt rejected.
A similar number revealed that they didn't receive the support they needed when they were at school.
The importance of a bedtime routine is often emphasised when it comes to children, with good habits necessary from an early age.
Child psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson recently stressed that kids need to maintain their bedtime routine even during the school holidays or special events.
He explained that failing to follow a routine can lead to all sorts of problems later in life.
Posted by Michael Ewing
