With vacations, sleepovers, late-night sporting events and other fun activities, a routine sleep schedule may be a distant memory for your children by the end of summer. With the start of the school year just a few weeks away, it’s important to begin easing your kids back into earlier bedtimes if they’ve been staying up late.

Sleep Matters

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), students should get the proper amount of sleep at night to stay focused, improve concentration and improve academic performance.

Inadequate sleep could lead to health problems. Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for health issues such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, poor mental health and injuries. They are also more likely to have attention and behavior problems.

Insufficient sleep in teenagers is associated with increased risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

The AASM recommends the following amounts of sleep for children:

• Ages 3 to 5 – 10 to 13 hours (including naps) per 24 hours
• Ages 6 to 12 – nine to 12 hours per 24 hours
• Ages 13 to 18 – eight to 10 hours per 24 hours

Sleep Schedule

Establishing a sleep schedule can help ensure that kids get the proper amount of sleep, going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning. Kids whose parents set a regular bedtime schedule for them are more likely to get enough sleep than kids who set their own bedtimes, according to the CDC. With the right amount of sleep, kids are less tired during the day and have less trouble staying awake.

The AASM recommends easing children back into their school-year sleeping schedule in 15-minute increments: A few weeks before school begins, have your child go to bed 15 minutes earlier and wake up 15 minutes earlier than they have been during break.

Then adjust their bedtime and wakeup time by 15 minutes every few days until they are falling asleep and waking up at the times needed for school. By the first day of school, they should be adjusted to their new sleep schedule.

The AASM points out that adjustments to a child’s sleep schedule can be challenging. If your child hasn’t fallen asleep within 20 minutes of settling into bed, let them come out of their room for a quiet activity, away from blue light, that will help them become sleepy before they go back to bed. Talk with older children and adolescents about the importance of getting enough rest.

Healthy Sleep Habits

Parents can help children get a good night’s sleep in the following ways:

• Make sure kids follow a consistent bedtime routine – the same set of activities before bedtime every night. For example, children may take a bath, change into their pajamas, brush their teeth and then snuggle into bed for story time.

• Limit light exposure and technology use in the evenings. You can implement a media curfew when devices need to be turned off and put away, or you can tell your children that devices are not allowed in their bedroom.

• Keep their bedroom dark, cool and peaceful at night.

• Limit their caffeine intake. In addition to coffee and cola, caffeine is found in tea and chocolate.

Talk with your healthcare provider if you’ve implemented healthy sleep habits but your child still resists bedtime, has nighttime awakenings or snores.

If you are looking for a primary care provider, Aultman Medical Group’s family medicine practices see patients of all ages, from infants to adults. To find a provider in your community who is accepting new patients, visit aultman.org/NewDoc.

Sources:
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The StayWell Company, LLC