How to get your child’s sleep back on track before they return to school
With a new school term around the corner, a sleep expert shares advice on how to get your children back into a nightly bedtime routine.
According to a study carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of children are not getting enough sleep, and prolonged breaks, like the summer holidays, can further impact your child’s sleep cycle.
Over the long summer holiday, it’s easy to let strict bedtimes slide. But while this works when your children don’t need to get up early and spend a day learning in a classroom, what happens once September arrives and school-restarts?
To help you get your children ready for the new term, Vitabiotics spoke exclusively to sleep expert Dave Gibson on what is the best time for your child to go to sleep depending on their age group, so they are ready for the first week of term.
How much sleep does your child need?
Adequate sleep is essential for children to stay alert, and support their mental, physical and social development. The amount of sleep required varies between different age groups, as each goes through different phases of growth and development.
In general, the recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation regarding how much sleep children need each night are:
- 3-5 year-olds should get between 10-13 hours
- 6–13 year-olds should get between 9 to 11 hours
- 14-17 year-olds need 8-10 hours of sleep
Of course, every child is different and the best way of telling if your child has had a good night’s sleep is when they wake up refreshed, bright and ready for the day ahead. It would be even better if this were without the use of an alarm as that would mean that your child was waking up naturally once their internal body clock had told them they’d had the right amount of sleep.
An ideal bedtime routine for school-aged children
So what does an ideal bedtime routine look like for school-aged children? One of the most important aspects of any bedtime routine is consistency both in terms of the bedtime itself and a relaxing routine beforehand, A consistent bedtime strengthens the body clock and makes it easier to fall asleep and the consistent routine creates anticipation in the brain that sleep is coming and helps us to relax towards sleep.
Reduce your child’s use of any electrical devices near bedtime
An ideal bedtime routine for school-aged children should start with stopping tech and mobile phone use at least an hour (ideally two hours) before sleep. This allows the brain to unwind and reduces the stimulating effects of screen time.
After turning off tech, tidying away schoolwork, packing school bags, and preparing clothes for the next day can help create a calm and organised start to the morning. However, it’s important to adjust the routine as needed from primary through to secondary school students reflecting your child’s developmental needs and schedules.
Cut out sugary snacks close to bedtime
Another thing to consider when getting your child back into a consistent bedtime routine is their food consumption pre-bedtime. You should ensure that children avoid junk food and sugary snacks close to bedtime, as these can interfere with and affect the quality of their sleep. Instead, opt for healthy snacks with less sugar and fat like a small portion of fruit or a glass of milk.
Do homework before dinner
The increase in homework and after-school activities also requires more effective time management. It is best to try and get your child to get all study and homework done before dinner, as once you get later into the evening the brain’s ability to focus and concentrate diminishes.
Getting primary school children ready for bed
A relaxing bath is a great way to start your child’s bedtime routine as it helps lower the body’s core temperature, signaling to the brain that it’s time for sleep. This natural drop in temperature promotes drowsiness. Then, engage them in calming activities like reading a bedtime story, playing a family game, or listening to soothing music. These activities help children wind down and transition to sleep peacefully.
Getting secondary school students ready for bed
There are quite a few things to consider when it comes to secondary school children as there might be more to factor in such as different activities and tasks. To start with, there may be more afterschool activities and exercise clubs to participate in which are great as they can help burn off energy and get a better night’s sleep.
However, these need to be finished early enough to allow for a relaxed evening routine and to prioritise sleep. With more things to manage time-wise both inside and outside of school, it’s best to write a to-do list before they start their wind-down routine so they can check things off as they go along.
