Schools
How to Get Your Kids Back on the School-Sleeping Schedule
Patch readers in South Cobb and other nearby communities have shared their tips on getting kids ready for "early to bed and early to rise." Got any suggestions to add? Tell us in the comments.
By Elissa Bass
Ah, summer time.
Stay up late! It's light out and there's no better time to enjoy the summer than those cooler evenings. And when it gets dark, chase fireflies, star gaze, have a sleepover.
Why not? You can sleep in the next morning, right.
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And then school starts, and everyone is off schedule and off kilter and CRANKY.We asked Patch readers on the South Cobb Patch Facebook page—as well as those on the Facebook pages of other nearby Patch sites—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:
- Nichelle Fox: Start the transition the week before classes so they quickly adjust back to the school routine.
- Lauren Wood-Viscardi: Let them stay up too late the first two nights. By the third night, they are so exhausted they can't help but fall into bed.
- Cody Wynn: Changed our clocks to appear much later so they wouldn't argue because they thought it was just as late as when they went to bed in the summer (From Douglasville Patch’s Facebook page)
- Vanita Miller Threlkel: We basically maintained our same bedtime. (From Douglasville Patch’s Facebook page)
And here's a few pieces of advice from sleep and health 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
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