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Dear Melissa,
I have 3 boys ranging
from preschool to elementary school. We
have had a very relaxed summer, staying up late to play outside and
sleeping until 9 or so every morning. I’m
worried that starting back to school will be a bit of a shock to their currently
lenient sleep routine. What can I do to
help them to get “back on track” for school?
The backpack and lunch box have been picked out; new school clothes are selected; fifteen trips have been made to the store to ensure that you have the EXACT items on the school list (the 24 pack of crayons, not the 16 or the 64 pack, but the 24 pack of Crayolas!). Kudos to you for realizing that sleep health should also be on your back-to-school list!
Importance of sleep: In order to feel calm and rested, the National Sleep Foundation makes the following recommendations:
- 1-3 years: 12-14 hours per day (including an afternoon nap of 1-2 hours)
- 3-6
years: 10-12 hours per day (most
children stop the afternoon nap sometime in this age range; only 24%
of 5-year-olds continue to nap)
- 7-12 years: 10-11 hours per day
- 13-18 years: 8-9 hours per day
Many, many children fall far short of the recommendations listed above….and this creates the cranky, sleepy child situation that we all want to avoid. (Is anyone noticing a general theme of my blogs: “How to prevent
the cranky child”?) But it is not just
irritability that we need to worry about. Think back to your days as a new parent. Remember how little sleep you got?
Remember how you felt physically ill, grouchy and foggy-headed? Don’t
recall this? Clearly the lack of sleep has affected your memory!
A sleep-deprived state obviously has a negative
impact on a child’s academic performance. Multiple studies on a wide age range of
students consistently report that children who get more sleep per night perform better on individual tests, as well as overall academic
performance. In addition, research from the University of Michigan found that as many as 25% of
kids diagnosed with ADHD have an underlying sleep disorder causing their
symptoms.
So, you've “drunk the Kool-Aid.” You are
ready to focus on healthy sleep, but how? The following are tips that we could
ALL use to get better sleep:
1) No TV in
the bedroom. Ever. Period. This also goes for
iPads, computers, smart phones, video games, etc. The bedroom is a place for sleep and
relaxation. Electronics are for other
areas of the house.
2) Consistent
bedtime/wake time, even on the weekends.
The body is simply unable to follow 2 different schedules in a 7-day
period.
3) Establish
a sleep routine. In my house, it is
bath, 1 show (NOT in the bedroom), books, bed. This will vary for each family. Some kiddos find the bath calming. However, my personal little monkeys
get wound up at bath time, so it is at the beginning of our routine. Know your child. Find a reasonable routine. Stick to it – even on the weekend.
4) Sleep
environment. The TV is already gone. Ideally toys are out as well. This creates a
space that is just for sleeping. Temperature
should be slightly cool. Overhead lights
are off. A nightlight is generally good
(but optional). “White noise” machines
are often fantastic for the kiddo who really has a hard time sleeping. This
takes some trial and error, but you can work with your child to create what
works for them.
5) INDIVIDUAL
sleep environment. This is not
necessarily a separate room, but this separation often is beneficial. However, each child should have his own bed,
even if it is just a mattress on the floor. This prevents territorial wars between kiddos at bedtime. In addition,
the child should sleep in the SAME SPACE each night. Avoid the “musical bed” situation where he
sleeps in the family room on the weekend, your bed sometimes during the week and his own bed at other times. Again,
consistency is the key!
6) No
caffeine. Hopefully your child doesn’t eat/drink any
caffeine...but if your older child enjoys an occasional Coke, make sure that it
is early in the afternoon and not close to bedtime.
7) Snack. Some children find a light bedtime snack
helpful as part of the bedtime routine. However, avoid a heavy meal 1-2 hours
before bedtime as it can keep your kiddo awake.
What are your plans for getting back on track
with your sleep habits for the new school year?
with your sleep habits for the new school year?
I
would love to hear your tips and ideas!
Also, if you have a question you would like me to address in my Weekly Blog,
send it to share@ChildrensTherapyTEAM.com
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