Kids who follow a traditional school year with summers off typically get into a laid-back routine that they must then adjust once the new school year arrives. During the summer, they get used to mornings without alarm clocks, afternoon camps, sports, swimming pools, playgrounds with friends, long evening walks, and no set schedules.
These activities and realities all are associated with the relaxed vibe of summer vacation. Summers always seem too short. Before you know it, and much to the kids’ dismay, it’s already time to shop for new school supplies and head back to the classroom.
The sun goes down a minute or two earlier each night, and suddenly autumn has arrived. It can be difficult for families–adults included–to face summer’s end. Teens especially have a harder time getting back into the school groove, and many of the problems they face throughout the school year are caused by not getting enough sleep.
That’s why it’s a good idea to develop a back to school schedule earlier rather than later. This helps your kids avoid adjustment problems and encourage a smooth transition.
The most important factor is helping your kids learn how to sleep better–both for quality and quantity. Regardless of the season, everyone, adults included, needs a certain amount of sleep. Lack of good sleep can lead to fatigue during the day, irritability, and even weight gain.
The challenge is how to eliminate life’s distractions and focus on a sustainable back to school sleep schedule. . So how do you develop a great back to school schedule for your kids? Let’s dive in.
How Many Hours of Sleep are Needed By Age?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following guidelines:
- School-age kids, including preteens (age 6-13) need nine to 11 hours
- Teens (age 14-17) need eight to10 hours
- Young adults (age 18-25) need seven to nine hours
Helping Your Preteen or Teen With Adjusting to a New Sleep Schedule
School schedules can sometimes vary from one school to the next. When students move from grade to middle or high schools, their school day usually starts earlier, often by as much as half an hour.
Researchers have found that (the hormone regulating the sleep-wake cycle) kicks in between 11pm and 1am for teens, so they have a harder time waking in the morning.So, what can you do about it?
Following are some suggestions for helping your teen sleep better. They’re also relevant for anyone trying to improve the quality of their sleep:
- Minimize light and noise during bedtime. Consider soft music, white noise, or nothing at all. You can block light with dark curtains.
- Avoid caffeine throughout the day and especially before bed. This includes coffee, soft drinks, and chocolate.
- Exercise regularly. Doing so elevates your mood and decreases stress.
- Choose a healthy diet. Young bodies need nutrients, which they use to grow and repair themselves while sleeping.
- Don’t eat for the three hours prior to bedtime. Trying to digest food will keep your body working, not relaxing.Keep electronic devices out of everyone’s beds. Although this can be hard to accomplish with teens attached to their phones, stick to your guns and set a firm “curfew” for them to put devices away for the night. Try soft music, not TV, to help kids relax.
- Go to bed earlier. Start with 15-minute increments, rather than making a huge change over a short duration of days.
- Encourage your teen to nap during the day, 10-30 minutes at the most, for greater alertness and productivity.
Physicians have recommended that schools start later in the morning to allow teens to catch up on the sleep they need. Later start times could encourage better health every day and less oversleeping on the weekends.
Until schools decide to change, you can follow the guidelines given here. Finally, make sure you have the healthiest bedding you can afford. Check out our mattresses for the best organic, non-toxic bedding–made to order for your entire family.
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