Set for success: your guide to the back-to-school sleeping schedule

It’s that time of year where teachers, students, families, and communities are back to school for a new and exciting academic year. While this time is exciting, it is inevitably an adjustment to give up screen time and late nights in order to adjust to a more regular sleep routine.

Adjusting to a new sleep schedule can feel challenging to some children. However, it is extremely important as it can help with cognition, mood, and overall well-being. Insufficient sleep can lead to difficulty focusing, which then affects a child’s grades. 

Tips on how to get a better sleep:

• Establish a time for lights out and avoid oversleeping on weekends. Shifting bedtimes and wake-up times by more than a few hours disturbs the body clock just like jet lag.
• Establish a routine, beginning in the toddler years: bath, read, turn on soothing music, etc.
• Use the bedroom for sleep only—no desks, computers, TVs or video games.
• Cut off all screen use at least an hour before bed.
• Make sure the thermostat is set at a cool temperature.
• Set up a family charging station for phones in the kitchen. Do not allow them in the bedroom during the evening.
• Beware of caffeine consumption in the afternoon, including sodas, coffees and energy drinks.

See a sleep specialist if your child:

• Falls asleep consistently at inappropriate times (at school, at a stop light, etc.).
• Seems sleepy or fatigued during the day.
• Frequently wakes up during the night.
• Wakes up in the morning with headaches.
• Sleeps restlessly or has frequent sleep disturbances.
• Wets the bed after age 6.
• Snores regularly.
• Suffers a sudden decline in cognitive performance or an unexpected drop in grades.
• Complains that their legs are bothering them at night or at rest.

To learn more about our pediatric sleep facility in New Orleans, click here https://www.chnola.org/services/sleep-medicine/