Reset your child’s sleep for back to school time

Waking up early for school

Back to school – reset your child’s sleep

You have prepared your ‘to do’ list for the new school year…..

• New shoes – tick
• New school bag – tick
• New pencils – tick

But what most parents really need at the top their list is…reset my child’s body clock.

After such an amazing summer with endless hot days, late nights and long lie-ins, trying to get your tribe ready for a 7 am  start could be a big challenge.  So to avoid morning meltdowns and difficult bedtimes it is best not to leave it until the last minute.

Follow our four simple tips to ensure your child’s sleep is prepped and ready to go.

Gradually move bedtime earlier:

Two or three weeks before the new term date and your little ones’ go back to school, start to put your child to bed earlier by 15 minutes.

• Repeat this new time for 2 to 3 days
• At the same time wake them 15 minutes earlier every 2 to 3 days
• Repeat this pattern until you reach the time that is right for their child’s morning start time.
• Children should be falling asleep within 15 minutes – if it’s taking much longer just slow down the changes and move bedtime 15 minutes earlier weekly rather than every 3 days.

Help them to feel sleepy:

An hour before bed we recommend:

• Start thinking about your child’s bedtime 1 hour before you want them to be asleep. In that time children should avoid stimulating activities; in summer children are often playing outside until late as we have light evenings, so they need to come in and wind down.
• ALL screens should be off 1 hour before sleep; this includes phones, tablets and computers as blue light can interfere with the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Lastly, in the hour before sleep don’t let your child have any caffeine or sugary food and drinks.

Their bedtime routine: 

• Have a quiet and calm bedtime routine focused around the bedroom and bathroom area.
• Carry out the same series of steps every night so your child knows that sleep is coming. They will start to prepare for it as soon as you start the steps.
• The steps should include a warm relaxing bath lasting about 10 minutes; a pre-bed bath should not be a play time.
• Go straight from the bathroom into the bedroom – do not go back into the living area.
• Pre dim the lights in the bedroom – this will help with the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
• Have 1 or 2 stories.
• Say good night and leave the bedroom; your child should be asleep about 15 minutes later.

Reset your child’s morning clock:

Being back at school means an early morning start again for many families. Morning is when we reset our body clock so it’s very important children are woken at the same time each day. A big dose of light will help to get your child up and running, so open the curtains straightaway. Light suppresses melatonin – the hormone that makes us feel sleepy.