Eleven Plus Sleep

Over three hundred years ago Samuel Johnson wrote about sleep:


“Sleep is a state in which a great part of every life is passed. No animal has been yet discovered, whose existence is not varied with intervals of insensibility. Once in every four-and-twenty hours the gay and the gloomy, the witty and the dull, the clamorous and the silent, the busy and the idle, are all overpowered by the gentle tyrant, and all lie down in the equality of sleep.”

Just on a year ago, in fact just before Christmas `Little Cat’ arrived at our kitchen door. She was cold, thin and very depressed. We did not feed her for two nights – but took her round to all the neighbours to see if anyone had lost a little cat.

If Samuel Johnson and seen Little Cat he would have been able to add several riders about the degree and extent to which some cats can sleep. Little Cat is a world champion sleeper. She likes her head rubbed before she drops off – but sleeps through anything and everything.

A study of the sleep habits of the eleven plus child may prove fruitful.

Few eleven plus children will be insensible – unless they are asleep.

Many eleven plus children will display a variety of moods as they tackle their eleven plus work – ranging from the witty to the busy.

Few eleven plus children will nod off during a paper.

Some eleven plus children may enjoy having their heads rubbed as they work through a paper.

Some eleven plus parents may feel a little sceptical, or even suspicious, if their bright and bubbly eleven plus child suddenly mummers - in an unforeseen manner: “Mum, I feel a little sleepy and won’t do this eleven plus work now. I think I need a little sleep.”