Dr. Aarthi Vemana is the director of the Inova Children’s Sleep Center in Fairfax.
For many kids, summer break means vacations, camp getaways, and sleepovers with friends. Fun summer adventures mean that many kids go to sleep and wake up later than they normally would and nap more during the day. But can all that relaxation time be too much of a good thing? And what can parents do to help kids adjust when the new school year begins?
Challenges of Changing Sleep Patterns
Sleep is essential for kids, and sound sleep allows their brains to rest, release necessary growth hormones and process memories. Sleep also supports emotional health, to help kids regulate and express emotions, such as happiness and sadness.
Any change in sleep habits can throw off a child’s circadian rhythm — the natural process that lets their brain know they need to go to sleep when it’s dark and wake up when it’s light.
When it’s time to go back to school, kids can struggle more than adults to adjust to a routine sleep schedule, because each new school year comes with many changes. They are learning new material in class, meeting new people, and dealing with new school settings.
Preteens and Teens Are Natural Night Owls
For preteens and teenagers, “school hours” can be even more difficult. At this stage of their lives, preteen and teen brains are hard-wired to stay awake later in the evening and stay asleep later into the morning. As they start to go through the hormonal changes of puberty, those shifts will happen despite their summer sleep schedule.
Tips to Switch from Summertime to School Time
As the new school year approaches, try these tips to help your kids adjust:
- Start changing your child’s sleep schedule a little at a time — two to three weeks before school begins, wake them up 15 minutes earlier each day, until they come to within a half hour of the time they’ll need to get up for school.
- Ensure physical activity is part of their day, especially in the morning.
- Limit daytime naps. If your child needs to sleep during the day, make it a “power nap,” under 30 minutes long and before 3 p.m.
- Serve dinner at least two hours before bedtime. If kids eat too close to bedtime, their bodies and brains have to process that food, making it harder for them to fall asleep.
- Turn off electronic devices — no screentime for an hour before bedtime.
- Shield their room from sunlight in the evening with a blackout shade, curtain, or a thick blanket.
- Turn off overhead lights, LED lights or any other kind of lighting in their room. (Night lights are OK.)
- Keep their bedroom cool.
- Follow a bedtime routine every night. For example, each night your child should brush their teeth, wash their face, put their pajamas on, read a book and then turn out the lights.
Summer is a wonderful time for kids to let loose! Once it’s over and kids need to get back into a regular routine for the new school year, these tips can help them — and parents — transition from that relaxed summer sleep schedule to one that helps everyone recharge and focus for school.
Learn more about Inova Children’s Sleep Center: inovachildrens.org/sleepcenter
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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