NEW YORK (AP) — After a summer of vacations and late nights, it’s time to set those back-to-school alarms.
Getting enough sleep at night helps students maintain focus and attentiveness during classes. Experts suggest that as a new school year begins, it’s beneficial to ease children back into a regular sleep routine.
“There’s a reason we emphasize ‘getting good sleep,’” explained pediatrician Dr. Gabrina Dixon from Children’s National Hospital. “It significantly enhances kids’ ability to learn and function effectively throughout their day.”
The required amount of sleep varies as children grow. Preschool-aged children should aim for up to 13 hours of rest. Children in the tween age range benefit from nine to 12 hours, while teenagers thrive on eight to 10 hours per night.
Set an earlier bedtime
During summer, bedtime routines often get disrupted due to activities like sleepovers, binge-watching sessions, and travel. Experts advise reestablishing earlier bedtimes a week or two prior to the school year commencing, or by gradually adjusting bedtime by 15 to 30 minutes earlier each night.
Avoid heavy meals and screen time for at least two hours before bedtime. Instead, engage in calming activities such as taking a shower or reading a book.
“It’s about reducing the mental workload,” stated Dr. Nitun Verma, from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “You can think of it like gradually easing off the accelerator when driving.”
Parents can adjust their back-to-school plans based on what works best for their child. Nikkya Hargrove moves her twin daughters’ bedtimes up by 30 minutes the week before school starts.
Sometimes, her 10-year-olds will negotiate for a few extra minutes to stay up and read. Hargrove said those conversations are important as her children get older and advocate for themselves. If they stay up too late and don’t have the best morning, Hargrove said that can be a learning experience too.
“If they’re groggy and they don’t like how they feel, then they know, ‘OK, I have to go to bed earlier,’” said Hargrove, an author and independent bookstore owner from Connecticut.
In the morning, soaking in some daylight by sitting at a window or going outside can help train the brain to power up, Verma said.
Squash back-to-school sleep anxiety
Sleep quality matters just as much as duration. First-day jitters can make it hard to fall asleep no matter how early the bedtime.
Dixon says parents can talk to their kids to find out what is making them anxious. Is it the first day at a new school? Is it a fear of making new friends? Then they might try a test run of stressful activities before school starts to make those tasks feel less scary — for example, by visiting the school or meeting classmates at an open house.
The weeks leading up can be jam-packed and it’s not always possible to prep a routine in advance. But kids will adjust eventually so sleep experts say parents should do what they can. After all, their kids aren’t the only ones adjusting to a new routine.
“I always say, ‘Take a deep breath, it’ll be OK,'” Dixon said. “And just start that schedule.”
