Back to School & Sleep
Mornings and evenings are getting cooler, days are getting shorter, and although it hardly seems possible, it’s almost time to head back to school.
Summer is a magical time for our kids, filled with bonfires and camping, beach days and popsicles, adventures near and far, visits with family and friends. It can be a tricky time to maintain any kind of sleep schedule, and many families choose to soak up every last second of summer with their children, which can mean missed naps and late nights. As a mother myself, I completely understand the desire to squeeze in as many summer moments as possible with your kiddos. If you’re ready to get back into your regular routines in preparation for a return to school, daycare, or work, I’ve got you covered.
As an elementary teacher, I have witnessed firsthand how a lack of sleep affects my student on a daily basis. Students regularly struggle to participate successfully in activities, understand new concepts, deal with conflict, and express themselves effectively when they’re not getting enough sleep at night. Sleep deprivation affects every area of our lives, and for our littlest ones, it can make their days at school really tough. As a sleep consultant, I’m delighted to be able to support families with sleep so that children are able to be well-rested and ready for all the academic, social, and emotional learning that happens at school and at daycare. Here are my top tips for making the transition back to school as smooth as possible.
Set an early bedtime
An early bedtime allows your child to get the rest they need to be physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared for their days at school. Most children between the ages of 3 months up to about 13 years need approximately 11-12 hours of sleep at night. Depending upon what time you need to get up and start your day, this usually means a bedtime of somewhere between 7-8pm. Getting enough sleep at night affects our ability to concentrate and learn new material, stay alert, and respond appropriately when tricky situations arise during the day.
Start in advance
You may have the best laid plans, but waiting to start a new routine until the night before school begins isn’t setting you up for success. Returning to school after summer vacation or starting school for the first time usually involves some amount of anticipation and nerves for most kids, which will most definitely put a wrench in your plans for an early night.
Whether you’re going back to a bedtime routine you already had in place pre-summer, or you’re starting out with a brand new routine, give yourself (and your little one) time to practice before school starts. Starting your routine a week or two before school begins gives you time to move to an earlier bedtime if summer bedtimes have been later. Start moving bedtime back by 15 minutes each night until you get to where you want to be. This also helps your child catch up on any sleep debt they may have accrued over the summer.
Be prepared
Making sure your child’s room is conducive to sleep can go a long way to helping them settle into sleep each night. Keeping the room calm and dark will make it easier for your child to fall asleep. A white noise machine is great for preventing wakeups due to environmental noise like sirens, dogs barking, older siblings playing, or even the furnace kicking in. If you’re interested in learning more about creating a sleep sanctuary for your child, check out this blog post.
If you don’t have a bedtime routine in place, now is a great time to start! A short, straightforward routine before bed will cue your little one’s brain and body that it’s time to prepare for sleep.You may want to include a bath, massage, story or song in your routine.Aim for a routine of about 20-30 minutes, and do as much as possible in the room where your child sleeps
Limit screen time
We know that avoiding screen time in the hour before bed can have a significant impact on the body’s ability to get to sleep. The blue light that is emitted from screens (phones, tablets, computers, televisions, games) suppresses the release of melatonin from the pineal gland in the brain. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps our bodies prepare for sleep, so avoiding any interruption in its release will help your child fall asleep more easily. In place of screen time, try a quiet activity with your little one before you begin your bedtime routine. This is a great opportunity to wind down from a busy day, spend some quality time with mom or dad, and it won’t impact the secretion of melatonin from the brain.
Wishing you a wonderful last few days of summer and a smooth transition back into the regular routines of daycare, school, and work. I promise you that, no matter what grade they’re headed into, nothing will help them go into the new school year with a better attitude and positive outlook than getting plenty of sleep.