BACK TO SCHOOL
JULY 17, 2026
THE PRESS
Sleep and breakfast vital to helping students focus SEAN TONGSON
F
or many, breakfast represents the first meal of the day. For students, however, breakfast may represent
the key to more success with their studies. In addition to having better overall nutrition and health, kids who eat breakfast are shown to have better results with math problems, vocabulary tests, and undertaking challenging mental tasks, according to healthychildren.org. Furthermore, kids who eat breakfast have better brain function, memory, and attention, and have had higher scores in math, spelling, and reading than those who did not, while also helping kids to deal with frustration. Linda Michaelis, a local registered dietitian with 25 years of experience specializing working with children, highlighted the importance of breakfast, but that it depends on their age group. “When a person is hungry, it is so important to put the right food combinations of food together,” Michaelis said. “The most important thing is have protein, some fiber, and some fat, as it allows the foods to stay with you longer.” Despite the benefits of breakfast, statistics from healthychildren.org show that 13 percent of school-aged kids skip breakfast, with the number increasing to more than 27 percent,
on average, for adolescents aged 12 to 19, with females skipping breakfast earlier and more regularly than males. Reasons vary, including some kids being selective eaters, wanting to avoid weight gain, or many older teens being busy until late at night with homework, extracurricular activities and part-time jobs. As a result of going to bed late, kids wake up and rush off to school, leaving little to no time to eat. Michaelis suggested that heavy meals should be consumed no later than 7 p.m., as meals should be lighter past that time and could potentially affect one’s ability to study. “They might not sleep as well and they may not be rested,” Michaelis said. “It is so important to not overload with carbohydrates and sugar. Poor management of meals can lead to poor sleep, which can lead to irritability.” Healthykids.org lists six tips for kids to make breakfast healthier and easier: see Sleep page 12
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