How To Get Your Kids Back On The School-Sleeping Schedule

Written by Elissa Bass

Ah, summer time.

Stay up late! It's light out and there's no better time to enjoy the summer than those cooler evenings. And when it gets dark, chase fireflies, star gaze, have a sleepover.

Why not? You can sleep in the next morning, right.

And then school starts, and everyone is off schedule and off-kilter and CRANKY.

We asked local Patch Facebook fans how they transition their kids from all-bets-are-off summer sleep schedules to go-to-bed-it's-a-school-night routines. Here's what they had to say:

Michelle Palmatier Mazzaro You don't! They are excited on the first day of school and pop out of bed....then are exhausted from the first day of school and fall asleep early. There's your early to bed - early to rise routine again! 

Heather Woods Guzman Early-to-bed all year long:)

And here's some advice from some experts:

Gradually reintroduce earlier bedtimes: Work towards getting your pre-teen to bed by 8:30. That gives them 30 minutes to fall asleep and 10 hours to sleep by the time they have to get up at 7:00 a.m. If they need to get up earlier, they should go to bed earlier as well. For teens, aim for a 9:00 p.m. bedtime—which means no more late-night TV watching.
- Besthealthmag.ca

Look Beyond Bedtime: “If we approach sleep appropriately," Family psychologist David Swanson, author of HELP-- My Kid is Driving Me Crazy,  says, "we look at a kid’s whole day. If you want your kids back to sleep on time, have dinner at a set time and limit the computer, TV, and video game time,” he says. “You’re not just trying to get them back to bed, but into a routine.”
- webMD.com

Turn off electronics: To help your kids wind down, all electronics — TV, video games, computers, and cell phones — should be shut off an hour earlier. 
-everydayhealth.com

Be a role model: Set a good example for your child. Establish your own regular sleep cycle and maintain a home that promotes healthy sleep.
-sleepfoundation.org