Getting Your Child’s Sleep Routine Back On Track

Has your child’s bedtime been pushed back later and later over the course of the summer?  For many reasons, this happens to a lot of families.

According to AASM, about 25% of children experience some type of sleep problem, ranging from difficulty falling asleep to more serious primary sleep disorders.  Teens in particular appear to be at high risk for sleep deprivation.  Sleepy teenagers face consequences beyond the classroom as well.  In a recent study in The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 15% of students who reported that they had had at least one car crash considered sleepiness the main cause.

The sleep specialists of Sleep Disorders Center of Virginia recommend these behavioral strategies to help your kids sleep back on track.

• Get technology out of the bedroom – no TV, no cell phone, no computer.  Light exposure from these sources suppresses the release of melatonin, a hormone linked to circadian rhythms (sleep and wake cycles).  Anything that lights up could delay your child’s ability to fall asleep.

• Develop a pre-sleep routine, preferably at a young age.  This might include a bath, reading a book, a light snack (avoid any food or beverage with caffeine at least eight hours before bedtime). Children will begin to associate those behaviors with sleep.

• Have your child get up 15-30 minutes earlier each morning, starting 10  days before the first day of school.

• Once your child is awake, expose them to sunlight.

• Set bedtime 15-30 minutes earlier each night.

• Recognize that children – including teenagers – need more sleep than adults.