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4 Friday, June 23, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com These days, after school, most kids head straight to a sport or activity. By the time they get home, it's way past their bedtime, leaving them sleep deprived the next morning. Did you know that missing an hour of sleep turns a sixth grader's brain into that of a fourth grader? According to the book NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, there is a correlation between grades and average amount of sleep. The conclusion came from a study done by Dr. Avi Sadeh of Tel Aviv University who observed behavioral patterns of fourth and sixth-graders and found that children receiving just one extra hour of sleep a night had significantly higher test scores in school, about equivalent to (the loss of) two years of cognitive maturation and development. In 2007, Dr. Kyla Wahlstrom of the University of Minnesota polled over 7,000 children and parents to ascertain their sleep habits. She found that A students got an average of 30 more minutes of sleep per night than students who regularly scored Ds. Her data was an almost perfect replication of results from an earlier study of over 3,000 Rhode Island high schoolers. Certainly these are averages, but the consistency of the two studies stands out. Every fifteen minutes counts. Building connections University of Colorado Boulder researchers have discovered that when young children are sleeping, the brain builds and strengthens connections between the left and right hemispheres. These connections improve communication between the two sides. As the brain matures, the connections built in childhood serve as the base for more complex neural connections throughout a person's life. These create even connections on both sides of your brain. A brain that is well-connected is key to maximizing learning, memory, and creativity. In a study, published in the journal "Brain Sciences," scientists looked at differences in brain activ- ity during sleep as the children got older and differences in brain activity of each child during a night's sleep. They found that the strength of the connections between the left and right hemispheres increased by as much as 20% over a night's sleep. Children take in and process enormous amounts of information every day. During sleep, their brains transform learned material into active knowledge while they sleep. According to Dr. Ines Wilhelm of the University of Tübingen's Institute for Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, during sleep, memory is turned into a form that makes future learning easier. How much sleep? So how much sleep does your child need? Humans are designed to spend about one-third of our lives sleeping, which is about 8 hours a night. We need one hour of sleep for every two hours awake. It's hard-wired into our biology. The average sleep amounts vary by age: 0 to 12 months need 13 to 16 hours; 1 to 5 years: 11 to 14 hours; 5 to 12 years: 10 to 11 hours; 12 to 18 years: 8.5 to 9.5 hours. Next time you argue with your kids as they try to stretch their bedtimes, you have science on your side to back you up. Then maybe you, too, can get to bed on time. WORSHIP DIRECTORY WORSHIP DIRECTORY Burns Presbyterian Church 765 Myrtle Rd West (just 4 minutes north of Brooklin) 10am Worship, Kids Zone Fun & Nursery Care "Discovering God, Sharing God's Love" 905.655.8509 www.Burnschurch.org St. Thomas' Anglican Church 101 Winchester Road East Sunday Services: 8:30 and 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Program (10:30am) Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Communion and Healing Service 905-655-3883 www.stthomasbrooklin.ca Brooklin United Church 19 Cassels Rd. E. Sunday Services at 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Care www.brooklinunited.ca 905-655-4141 Come catch the Spirit! Renaissance Baptist Church of Brooklin 40 Vipond Road (Just West Of Library) Sunday Worship & Kids Program 10:30 a.m. 905-655-4554 www.brooklinrbc.ca We're here for Brooklin! Enjoy fun for the family and the sweet taste of summer. Visit our on-farm market, farm animals, Barnyard Adventure play area and more. Strawberries Pick your own and fresh picked 1025 Cragg Rd, Greenbank www.forsythefamilyfarms.com 905-985-6749 call for crop update Enjoy fun for the family and the sweet taste of summer. Visit our on-farm market, farm animals, Barnyard Adventure play area and more. 1025 Cragg Rd, Greenbank www.forsythefamilyfarms.com 905-985-6749 call for crop update Community Calendar If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar." Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Fri., June 23: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. Sat., June 24: WISC Senior Women's Soccer Tournament At Carnwith Park Fundraiser for 3 year old Brooklyn, born with cerebral palsy, who requires life-saving surgery Sat., June 24: 7:00 pm Mt. Zion United Church Annual B.B.Q. and entertainment . Advance ticket sales: Adults $15, Children (12 and under) $5 . Please call Jones 905 649-5200: Taylor 905 649-3332 or email evelynjones02@gmail.com. Tues., June 27: 2:00 - 7:00 pm - Giant Hogweed and Other Dangerous Invaders At Whitby Central Library, 405 Dundas West Information session for all ages about the dangers of giant hogweed and wild parsnip Wed., June 28: 7:00 pm - Brooklin Horticultural Society Meeting Featuring Anna van Maris on "Rain Gardens." She's president of Parklane Landscape that showcases & promotes sustainability. Event will include members' Rose Show. Come early for refreshments & to buy draw tickets. Sat., July 1: Brooklin Veterans Banner Program Deadline for sponsorship applications ($150 each) Larry Sutcliffe: 905-655-4681 Tues., July 4: 4:45 p.m. - Blood Donor Clinic Westminster United Church, 1850 Rossland Rd. E Hosted by MPP Lorne Coe Blood donors needed to make the clinic a success. Download the GiveBlood app or visit blood.ca to book your appointment. Thurs., July 13: 7:00 - 9:00 pm - Farewell to Sue Pitchforth At Brooklin Pub, upstairs Sat., July 15: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Summer Artfest Grass Park There's room this year for new artists. Email apiebalgs@estuimages.com Mon - Fr., July 17-21: 9:00 - 11:30 am: Vacation Bible Camp Brooklin United Church, 19 Cassels Rd. E, Ages 4-11. Songs, games, crafts, snacks & fun in "God's Big Backyard: Where kids have a blast serving Jesus." $25/child or $35/family for the week. Pre-registration required. Call 905-655-4141 or brooklinunited.ca Mondays: 6:30-7 pm: French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Angli- can Church. 905-668-6779 Mon-Fri CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779 Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Is Lack of Sleep Making Your Kids Stupid? Announcing... Winners of the BTC's Essay Contest: Grand Prize: Ashley Breedon for "Unapologetically Canadian" Second Prize: Rochelle Boivin for "Canada is... small town charm and community" Their essays will appear in the BTC later this summer. Thanks to all those writers who contributed their works.