As summer winds down and the back-to-school season approaches, one of the most important yet often overlooked aspects of a successful transition is sleep. After weeks of relaxed schedules and late nights, getting children back into a healthy sleep routine can be challenging.
Quality sleep is essential for academic performance, emotional regulation and overall well-being. But how much sleep does your child need?
As a board-certified sleep medicine physician, I generally recommend:
- 4-12 months: 12-16 hours
- 1-2 years: 11-14 hours
- 3-5 years: 10-13 hours
- 6-12 years: 9-12 hours
- 13-18 years: 8-10 hours
Here are practical tips to help your child ease into the school year well-rested and ready to learn.
1. Start preparing for regular bedtime weeks before school starts; don’t wait until the night before school begins. Shift bedtime gradually. One way to do this is to advance bedtime by 15 minutes each night until the desired bedtime is reached. If your child has been staying awake until 10 p.m. this summer, but the school bedtime is 8:30 p.m., shift bedtime to 9:45 p.m. on day one, 9:30 p.m. on day two, etc., until you reach 8:30 p.m. If you can do this a few weeks before the school year begins, your child’s body will smoothly adjust.
2. Create a consistent sleep schedule. Once the school year begins, establish a consistent sleep and wake schedule, even on weekends. Your child should wake up and go to sleep at about the same time each day. A regular sleep schedule helps regulate the body’s internal clock.
3. Avoid electronics 30-60 minutes prior to bedtime. Take your child’s electronics away about an hour before bedtime. Ideally, keep electronics out of the bedroom. Phones and tablets emit blue light, which can interfere with the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. Also, scrolling social media or texting with friends can cause unwanted stress close to bedtime.
4. Encourage daily physical activity. Make sure your child is active during the summer, whether participating in a sport or running around at camp. Daily physical activity promotes deep sleep at night.
5. Remove your child’s desk from the bedroom. A bedroom should be a safe sanctuary, free from the anxiety that may be connected with homework and studying. Create a homework station in a living room, kitchen or other spot in your home.
6. Limit naps to less than 30 minutes. For school-age children, naps — if they take them at all — should be no more than 30 minutes (this does not apply to infants and toddlers, who can and should take longer naps). Longer naps can make it difficult to fall asleep at night.
7. Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Have your child avoid homework at least two hours before bedtime. Instead, try to quiet down with reading, a shower or bath, and cuddling.
8. Avoid caffeine, including soda, iced tea and chocolate, close to bedtime. In general, children should avoid caffeine as much as possible – and definitely close to bedtime. Caffeine can make children restless and anxious, keeping them awake at night.
9. If you give your child sugary treats, do so as part of an after-school snack instead of after dinner. Sugar too close to bedtime can lead to sugar spikes, making it difficult to fall asleep. (Of course, try to keep after-school snacks as healthy as possible!)
10. Increase light exposure in the morning by opening the curtains or having your child go outside in the sunshine (while wearing sunscreen). Natural light in the morning helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
Trying as many of these tips as possible can help your child get back on track and off to a well-rested and successful school year!
Keisha Sullivan, DO, is a board-certified sleep medicine physician with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group. She sees patients at the Kaiser Permanente Largo Medical Center. For more information, visit https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/.
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Keisha Sullivan, DO, is a board-certified sleep medicine physician with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group. She sees patients at the Kaiser Permanente Largo Medical Center. For more information, visit https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/.
