Getting Kids Back on Schedule for School

Summer is a time of delightful disruption. But suspended bedtimes, sleepovers, and late-night celebrations can disrupt sleep patterns for the whole family. Then, when summer ends, it’s difficult to reestablish the back-to-school routine. With one week left until school starts, it’s important to enforce earlier bedtimes to ease kids back on schedule. Emphasizing healthy sleep habits will help your child get off to a good start and possibly prevent problems in the long term.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, newborns, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children all need different amounts of sleep as they grow. But these are guidelines – each child’s sleep needs and napping patterns can vary considerably.

What is the same for every child is the need for healthy sleep, defined as:

• A sufficient amount of sleep
• Quality uninterrupted sleep that allows your child to move through necessary stages of sleep (REM sleep solidifies the previous day’s events into memories, and sequences of learned skills, like playing sports or an instrument, become muscle memories)
• The proper number of age-appropriate naps
• A sleep schedule that is in sync with the child’s natural biological rhythms

To help ensure your child gets healthy sleep:

• She shouldn’t eat, drink or exercise close to bedtime.
• Turn off the TV, computer, and smartphone an hour before bedtime.
• He should get in the habit of doing the same things every night before bedtime to signal his body that it’s time for bed. A shower or bath works for some (and leaves extra time in the morning), while reading or journaling works for others.
• Advise older kids to keep a to-do list on the nightstand. Jotting down notes helps put the mind at ease so your busy scholar will be less likely to stay awake worrying or stressing.

As with adults, children and teens sleep best in a cool, dark, quiet room. Recent research has even shown that using a night light or television close to bedtime can disrupt circadian rhythms and trigger mood disorders.

Encouraging healthy sleep not only positively affects neurological development but can also help prevent many problems later in life. Poor or inadequate sleep can lead to mood swings, behavioral issues such as hyperactivity, and cognitive difficulties that affect a child’s ability to learn in school.

Don’t give in to your child’s insistence that she isn’t tired. Try an earlier bedtime – just 15 to 20 minutes may do the trick. After a few nights, your well-rested child will likely be easier to put to bed.

Dr. Jeff Pinkerton
iCare for you.