According to The National Sleep Foundation, school-aged kids from 5-12 years old need 10-11 hours of sleep each night to meet the demands of academic and extracurricular activities. In teenagers and young adults, 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep is critical to optimal school performance. Poor or inadequate sleep can lead to mood swings, behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and cognitive problems that impact their performance in school. According to a study by the Journal of Sleep Research, students 11–14 who obtained lower levels of sleep exhibited lower self-esteem and grades, and higher levels of depression.

Interestingly, it’s not only the quantity of sleep that matters; quality matters too. The Better Sleep Council estimates that nearly 70 percent of old beds are handed down, often repeatedly, to children. Parents will upgrade to a new mattress set but their kids often sleep on beds that are 10 years old or more. The Better Sleep council advises that old mattresses should be replaced. A poorly constructed mattress or a mattress that is beyond eight years old often fails to support the body, causing muscle aches and fatigue.

To celebrate the Back to School Season, Mattress Firm and Protect-A-Bed are hosting the Sleep Smart sweepstakes during the month of August. Students and parents can “like” the Mattress Firm and Protect-A-Bed Facebook pages, share back to school sleep tips, and register to be eligible for weekly mattress protection giveaways. On August 31, one grand-prize winner will be selected at random to win a bedding protection kit and a $500 Visa gift card. More details on how to enter are available at http://apps.facebook.com/sweepstakeshq/contests/270681.

Back-to-School sales in stores nationwide include (Faculty, staff and alumni are also eligible for special discounts and pricing):

•             $299 Hampton & Rhodes pillow top mattress (full or queen)

•             Free delivery on purchases of $599 and above

•             $49 twin mattress; $99 queen mattress

•             10 percent discount with student, faculty or alumni ID card on purchases of $499 and above (in-store only)

•             $399 queen bundle with Hampton & Rhodes Whitney set, Protect-A-Bed mattress cover and bed frame