Mercer Health is reminding families about the importance of sleep as students return to classrooms and busy school schedules.

Certified Nurse Practitioner Ben Werling recently joined WCSM’s Spectrum program to discuss back to school health.

Werling said children between the ages of 6 and 12 generally need between nine and 12 hours of sleep each night. Teenagers between 13 and 18 should typically receive between eight and 10 hours.

Werling said keeping a consistent routine can be especially important as children transition out of summer schedules and return to early morning school days.

More than 70 percent of high school students are not getting enough sleep on school nights, according to information discussed during the program.

Werling said school work, athletics, band, clubs and other activities can create busy schedules for students. While those activities can be beneficial, sleep can sometimes become the thing that gets sacrificed.

A lack of sleep can affect a student’s ability to focus, learn and retain information during the school day.

Werling encouraged families to prioritize regular bedtimes and reduce distractions such as phones and televisions when children are preparing to sleep.

The sleep discussion was part of a larger Spectrum conversation covering nutrition, physical activity, screen time, anxiety, mental health and other back to school health topics.