Back to School Sleep Tips
This article is from the Sleep Foundation. Read the full article here.
Parents know that quality sleep is essential to their children’s success at school. With quality sleep, children have improved mood and ability to focus. Sleep is also essential for forming and retaining memories — an important part of learning!
But how can parents help their children get back on a sleep schedule for school after summer or holiday breaks? The secret lies in having healthy sleep habits year-round. A regular sleep schedule, as well as a quality sleep environment and other habits of good sleep hygiene, contribute to children’s academic achievements and overall well-being.
The Importance of Setting a Sleep Schedule
Children look to their parents for guidance on healthy habits. Sleep should be no exception. For both adults and children, a regular sleep schedule helps the body know when it’s time to sleep and wake up. A sleep schedule helps prevent fatigue, exhaustion, and daytime drowsiness.
Children and adolescents whose parents set a bedtime schedule are more likely to get sufficient sleep. These students likely have earlier bedtimes than their peers without parent-set bedtimes. Students with parent-set bedtimes also experience less fatigue during the day and less difficulty staying awake during the day.
How Much Sleep Does Your Child Need?
The amount of sleep needed varies depending on your child’s age, activity levels, and individual needs. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests the following guidelines:
- Preschoolers (ages 3-5) require 10-13 hours of sleep
- School-age children (ages 6-12) require 9-12 hours of sleep
- Teenagers (ages 13-18) require 8-10 hours of sleep
A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study found that most American children and teenagers don’t sleep enough. Nearly 6 in 10 middle schoolers and at least 7 in 10 high schoolers don’t sleep enough on school nights. Of the high school students surveyed, almost two-thirds sleep less than eight hours nightly.
Adhering to sleep schedules with parental support can help students achieve the sleep needed to help them perform their best.
How to Get Back on a Sleep Schedule for School After Summer or a Holiday Break
Students’ sleep schedules understandably loosen up during a school break. Kids use break time to rest and recharge, and there are often exciting things going on! However, during short holiday breaks, it might be best for children to try and stick to their regular sleep schedules. Then, they won’t have to quickly adjust back to their school sleep schedules after the break.
Whenever possible, try to help your children keep a consistent routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. That way, even when school restarts after a break, they are already in the habit of having scheduled sleep.
So how can parents help their children get back on a sleep schedule for going back to school? Take it one day at a time!
The process of adjusting a sleep schedule should be incremental. In the weeks leading up to going back to school, have your child wake up 15 minutes earlier and go to sleep 15 minutes earlier than they have been during their break. Continue to adjust their bed and wake times in 15-minute increments every few days until your child is sleeping and waking at the desired times for school. By the first day back to school, they should be adjusted to the new sleep schedule and ready to go.
Remember that adjusting to a new sleep schedule feels challenging to some children. If your child does not fall asleep after twenty minutes, have them come out of their room and do a quiet, sleep-inducing activity free from blue light. When they are sleepy, help them to bed again.
Be patient, and give yourselves time. Older children and adolescents may benefit from discussions about the importance of sleep and good sleep habits.
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