Schools

How To Get Your Kids Back On The School-Sleeping Schedule

Tips to get your kids ready for 'early to bed and early to rise'!

Kids love summer time: no school, staying up late, what's not to love?

There's swimming, playing with friends, and when it gets dark, chasing fireflies, star gazing and sleepovers. Staying up late is no problem when you can sleep in the next morning. 

And then school starts, and everyone is off schedule and off kilter and cranky.

We asked Patch readers on the Plymouth-Canton Patch Facebook page how they transition their kids from all-bets-are-off summer sleep schedules to -go-to-bed-it's-a-school-night routines. Here's what they had to say:

Katie Saulsberry wrote, "We try to get them to bed earlier but reality is they're tired for the first week because they are staying awake too late!"

Laurel Herron Hess commented, "(We) don't do a thing. After a week of being exhausted from getting up super early, they are happy to go to bed earlier. No biggie if the first week is a little rough. We love to stay up late and sleep in late all summer."

Shari Redman commented, "The week before I get them up and have them do their morning routine as well as myself getting lunches prepared and we do everything including getting shoes on in time so they are prepared as much as possible. They get used to going to bed on time, getting up on time and mom is also on schedule along with them. Good luck all PCCS students and parents. Have a wonderful start to the new school year."

Chris Montney wrote, "The easy solution is to stay on the same schedule all year long."

And here's some advice from some experts:

Gradually reintroduce earlier bedtimes: Work towards getting your pre-teen to bed by 8:30. That gives them 30 minutes to fall asleep and 10 hours to sleep by the time they have to get up at 7:00 a.m. If they need to get up earlier, they should go to bed earlier as well. For teens, aim for a 9:00 p.m. bedtime—which means no more late-night TV watching.
Besthealthmag.ca

Look Beyond Bedtime: “If we approach sleep appropriately," Family psychologist David Swanson, author of HELP-- My Kid is Driving Me Crazy,  says, "we look at a kid’s whole day. If you want your kids back to sleep on time, have dinner at a set time and limit the computer, TV, and video game time,” he says. “You’re not just trying to get them back to bed, but into a routine.”
webMD.com

Turn off electronics: To help your kids wind down, all electronics — TV, video games, computers, and cell phones — should be shut off an hour earlier. 
-everydayhealth.com

Be a role model: Set a good example for your child. Establish your own regular sleep cycle and maintain a home that promotes healthy sleep.
-sleepfoundation.org


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here