At this time of year, most parents are busy making sure their kids have all the pencils, glue sticks, backpacks, gym shoes, notebooks, and lunch treats they’ll need for a successful school year, but be sure to make time for the most important back-to-school essentials:
- Check to see if your child is up to date on his/her immunizations
- Make sure your child has had their annual vision check at our office or at the optometrist, and
- Get your child’s sleep time back on schedule before school starts!
School-aged children need at least 9 to 12 hours, and teens need 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.
Good sleep is essential! People who get enough sleep have:
- Better school performance
- Better behavior
- Better memory
- Better athletic performance and decreased likelihood of getting injured playing sports
- Better mental health
- A healthier immune system
We often operate on a different schedule during summer vacation: sleeping in, later bedtimes, late dinners, and relaxed screen time rules. Bedtimes and wake times are often 2 or more hours later in the summer than during the school year. Expecting your child to adjust to a different sleep schedule the day before school starts is a recipe for disaster. Adjust your child’s sleep schedule starting at least 2 weeks before the first day of school. Start helping your child adjust to school by waking him/her 15 minutes earlier in the morning and setting a bedtime 15 minutes earlier. Adjust the bedtime and wake times by 15 minutes every 2 days until the desired bedtime is reached.
Tips to help your child adjust to a healthy bedtime:
- Start a bedtime routine an hour before you want your child to fall asleep: dim the lights, take a shower or bath, brush teeth and put on pajamas early, then read books or do soothing quiet activities until bedtime.
- Avoid TV, computers, cell phones, and bright lights for 2 hours before bedtime. Keep TVs, computers, and cell phones out of the bedroom!
- Go to bed at about the same time every night including weekends.
- Keep the bedroom cool and dark. For most people, comfortable sleep temperatures are between 65 and 72 degrees.
- Avoid eating within 2 hours of bedtime.
- Avoid drinking more than a few sips of water within an hour of bedtime so your child won’t need to get up to pee.
- Avoid exercise before bedtime, but be sure to get exercise and exposure to sunlight earlier in the day.
- Avoid naps if your child is in first grade or older. If your child needs to nap, make sure the nap starts before 2 pm.
- Avoid caffeine.
Click here for more tips on healthy sleep habits for kids.
If you have a teenager or young adult having difficulty with his/her sleep schedule or just not wanting to get to bed earlier click here for information on helping teens sleep better.
If your child is having trouble with sleep, needs a physical or vision screening, or needs back-to-school immunizations, call to schedule an appointment today. 919-460-0993