If your kids seem cranky or distracted when doing homework, think about their sleep habits. Just as their bodies need sleep to be healthy, their brains also need sleep for them to be happy and to function well.

A good night’s sleep will help everyone in the family process and retain information, problem-solve, and concentrate during the day. Adequate sleep helps achieve the alertness needed for complex mental processes and mental stamina.While individuals vary in how much sleep they need, you can use these age guidelines as a starting place. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Children ages five to thirteen need regular bedtimes and about 9-11 hours of sleep. Teens need 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Sleep scientist Wendy Troxel encourages teenagers to sleep more in order to improve their mental health and do better in school. This makes sense, because a high-school math class, or math tutoring session, requires significant mental stamina. Sleep deprivation in younger children is less prevalent than it is with teens and adults, but it is still a problem. Tired children simply can’t learn as well.

We love how math helps us describe, understand, and analyze everything, from politics, to art, to sleep. It’s also cool that math helps us fall asleep faster. Life, including math class, goes better when we get the sleep we need.