As the new school year approaches, health experts are encouraging parents to begin gradually shifting their children’s sleep routines to ensure they’re well-rested and ready for the classroom. Photo from RDNE Stock project, Pexels.

News Release

GOSHEN — As the new school year approaches, health experts are encouraging parents to begin gradually shifting their children’s sleep routines to ensure they’re well-rested and ready for the classroom.

Tamara Kermani

Sleep plays a critical role in brain function, including mood regulation, focus, and the ability to learn, according to Dr. Tamara Kermani of Parkview Physicians Group — Family Medicine in Goshen.

“I usually recommend at least two weeks before, start to transition slowly,” Kermani said. “It will depend on how late they’ve been going to bed during the summer and how different their routine is from the summer to school. For a lot of kids, it’s drastically different.”

The amount of sleep a child needs varies by age. Younger students in elementary school should aim for at least 10 hours per night, while teenagers should get no fewer than nine. For younger children, that typically means going to bed by 8 p.m. Middle and high school students should begin winding down between 9 and 11 p.m., depending on when they need to wake up.

Kermani warns that even mild sleep deprivation, such as by an hour or two each night, can accumulate over time and negatively affect academic performance, attention and behavior.

“If you can’t stay awake at school, you’re not learning and unable to perform,” Kermani said. “Even if they’re just building up a sleep deficit where they’re not staying up all night, but they’re falling one or two hours short, over time that really builds up and it’s a huge detriment for their ability to learn and perform, and it also increases irritability, which may lead to behavior problems.”

To ease the adjustment, she advises families to gradually shift bedtimes earlier each night, rather than waiting until the final days of summer break. Building a nighttime routine can also help promote better rest.

Suggested wind-down activities include reading, listening to calming music, having a light snack, or taking a warm bath. Parents should also consider dimming household lights and keeping bedrooms cool, ideally between 68 and 70 degrees.

Health professionals stress the importance of turning off screens well before bedtime. Exposure to lights from phones, tablets, televisions and gaming systems can disrupt the body’s natural sleep rhythms, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

By starting the transition early, students will be more likely to begin the school year alert, engaged and ready to succeed, Kermani explained.