September is just around the corner, what does this mean? School is back in session!
So after a whole summer of relaxed structure, staying up later, sleeping in later, and forgetting routine, it can make the first month or months of school challenging for both the parent and the student.
You may notice that it is more difficult to get your children ready for school, wake them up in the morning or settled at a decent time at night.
If this is happening to you, chances are you may have an over tired child. Here are some back to school sleep tips to help with the transition.
– start preparing your child for school sleep now. I know it is still August, but if they have a slower transition, it will be a lesser shock to their sleep system;
– create a solid daily routine and more importantly bedtime routine. This will help your child wind-down for the evening and make bed-times much more predictable, and therefore less of a power struggle;
– if your child is still pretty small and is starting kindergarten, you may need to cut out naps completely. It is best to start this transition right now, so they are accustomed to not having that afternoon sleep before school starts;
– when you are taking away sleep, it needs to be replaced. So if your child is losing a nap or getting up earlier, it is recommended that they go to bed much earlier to catch up on that missed sleep. So this may mean that the first week of school, they are going to bed at 6:30pm (but don’t be afraid or surprised if they ask to go to bed earlier);
– prepare for the early bedtime. This may mean, plan-ahead meals (crockpot, frozen casseroles, etc). Avoid a lot of late night activities or extra-curricular activities and have more down time, like reading, quiet-time, discussing their new adventures in school, or anything that is not too active and not too much screen time (TV, internet, videogames, etc). Electronics should be turned off at least one hour before bedtime; and
– on the weekends, if you notice that your child is exhausted, offer them a nap or quiet time. Their body and brain will thank you for it.
submitted by Emily O’Gorman , certified sleep consultant
Good Night Sleep Site Wellington
www.goodnightsleepsite.com/wellington
