Easing Back into the School Year Sleep Routine

After a summer of late nights and relaxed schedules, the return to school means readjusting bedtime routines. A good night's sleep helps students stay focused and attentive in class, experts say, making it worth the effort to ease kids back into a regular sleep schedule as the new school year begins.

Pediatrician Dr. Gabrina Dixon with Children's National Hospital emphasized the importance of sleep for learning and daily functioning. "We don't say 'get good sleep' just because," she said. "It really helps kids learn and it helps them function throughout the day."

Age-Appropriate Sleep Needs

Sleep requirements change as children grow. According to experts, preschoolers should get up to 13 hours of sleep, tweens need between nine and 12 hours, and teenagers do best with eight to 10 hours of sleep.

Practical Tips for Adjusting Bedtimes

Early bedtimes often slip through the cracks over the summer as kids stay up for sleepovers, movie marathons, and long plane flights. To get back on track, experts recommend setting earlier bedtimes a week or two before the first day of school or gradually moving bedtime 15 to 30 minutes earlier each night.

Parents are also advised to avoid serving heavy meals before bed and to limit TV or screen time two hours before sleep. Instead, they can encourage relaxing activities to help children wind down, such as taking a shower or reading a story.

Dr. Nitun Verma, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, likened the process to slowing down gradually. "You're trying to take the cognitive load off your mind," he said. "It would be like if you're driving, you're slowly letting go of the gas pedal."

A Parent's Approach

Parents can tailor their back-to-school plans to what works best for their child. Nikkya Hargrove moves her twin daughters' bedtimes up by 30 minutes the week before school starts. Sometimes her kids 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 her children stay up too late and have a rough morning, Hargrove sees it as a learning opportunity. "If they're groggy and they don't like how they feel, then they know, 'OK, I have to go to bed earlier,'" she said.

Managing Back-to-School Anxiety

Beyond sleep schedules, experts suggest addressing any anxiety children may have about the first day of school. Parents can talk to their kids to find out what is making them anxious. Dixon recommended trying a test run of stressful activities before school starts to make those tasks feel less scary, such as visiting the school or meeting classmates at an open house.

Dixon offered reassuring words for parents feeling overwhelmed: "I always say, take a deep breath, it'll be OK... And just start that schedule."

Morning Light and Final Thoughts

To help children adjust, Verma recommended soaking in daylight in the morning by sitting at a window or going outside, which can help train the brain to power up for the day ahead.

With a little planning and patience, families can smooth the transition from summer to school, helping children arrive ready to learn.