There is growing interest in lack of sleep. This is a troubling phenomenon seen in children entering the first grade of elementary school. Children who are sleep-deprived have a characteristic behavior of walking around because they cannot sit still. Children who spend their early childhood with short sleep periods tend to have difficulty concentrating in class after entering school. Even the best teachers are unable to provide sufficient guidance and support to children who sleep short periods. Of course, this naturally leads to a deterioration in the learning environment in the classroom. Sleep not only rests the brain and relieves fatigue, but also organizes and solidifies memories. Sleep has the function of developing the brain and is inseparably linked to academic ability. Sleep in preschool children is important for the brain. The current situation in which more than 30% of children go to bed after 10 p.m. is said to be a national crisis in Japan.
The key to making children more active is good sleep and regular bowel movements. It seems that more and more children are suffering from constipation. According to the survey results of the NPO Japan Toilet Institute, many children suffer from constipation. It seems that 16.6% of all children are constipated. Furthermore, 20.7% of children are at risk of becoming constipated. In total, 37.3% of children are in a state of constipation. There are children who attend classes in a physically, mentally, and socially disadvantageous state due to constipation. On the other hand, if they are not constipated, they will be able to concentrate in class and study more efficiently.
To have a comfortable school life, the breakthrough is to go to bed earlier and adjust your daily rhythm. First of all, starting dinner earlier seems to be the breakthrough to adjust your daily rhythm. When humans eat food, it is easily digestible and becomes feces in about 7 to 9 hours. The remains of easily digestible food from dinner are already in the large intestine by morning. If you sleep about 10 hours at night, you are ready to excrete. Your stomach is empty in the morning. When breakfast is eaten on an empty stomach, the intestines begin to move in a peristaltic motion to expel the “residual waste (feces)” that has been digested and absorbed. The intestines begin to move in a peristaltic motion, trying to push out the feces. This results in comfortable bowel movements, and helps children to spend the day in comfort. Eating well, sleeping well, and having comfortable bowel movements are the foundations for a fulfilling elementary school life. It is important that children are able to maintain this state at all times when they enter school.
