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Sleep coach’s tips to reset your children’s bedtime routine before school starts
As the summer holidays come to an end, it’s time to start getting the kids back into a good sleep routine – but how do you do that?
The summer break is usually full of late nights, which can make returning to those school bedtimes a real struggle.
Tips to reset your children’s sleep routine
In collaboration with Vitabiotics, sleep coach Dave Gibson has shared some handy tips to help reset your children’s bedtime routine before the first day of school.
Rather than waiting until the weekend before school starts, he recommends adjusting their sleep in “small steps” throughout the week. Children’s body clocks are a lot more sensitive than adults, so they cant easily deal with big changes.
So, it’s a great idea to move their bedtime a little earlier each day in stages. For example, if they have been going to bed an hour later than usual, start at least four days before school and make them go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night.
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You should also stop your children from using any electrical devices an hour or two before bedtime to allow the brain to unwind. Avoid sugary snacks too close to bed too as these can interfere with the quality of their sleep.
After switching off phones, tablets and gaming consoles, encourage the kids to do activities that will help them wind down and prepare for sleep such as tidying away schoolwork, packing school bags, preparing clothes for the next day and reading.
“One of the most important aspects of any bedtime routine is consistency both in terms of the bedtime itself and a relaxing routine beforehand,” Gibson said. “A consistent bedtime strengthens the body clock and makes it easier to fall asleep.”
How long should children be sleeping for?
It’s vital that children get enough sleep to process new information, stay healthy, and feel rested for the following day, MedlinePlus explains. A lack of sleep makes it difficult to concentrate and focus at school.
Kids need different amounts of sleep depending on their age, with preschool-aged children needing the most at 11-12 hours a day. School-aged children must get at least 10 hours a day and teens can go with a little less, around 9-10 hours a day.
Children who do not get enough sleep are more likely to have attention and behaviour problems which can lead to bad academic performance at school, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals.
They also have a higher risk for many health issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and poor mental health. Insufficient sleep makes kids more prone to injuries too.
Dave Gibson is a wellbeing coach specalizing in sleep who runs workshops in Osteopathy, Hypnotherapy, Stress Management, Sleep Coaching and Naturopathy clinics in London.
