All summer, Little Jeremy has been up all night and sleeping all day, like he works the night shift! In actuality, little Jeremy has been up all night playing video games with his online community until 2:00AM. Then he goes to bed and sleeps until 11:00AM. Little Jeremy is getting 9 hour of sleep! Woo hoo! The problem is Little Jeremy lives in Texas, and his sleep schedule is the same as the kids who live in Hawaii, a 5 hour difference. What are Little Jeremy’s parents going to do to get him up on time for the 1st day of school?!!
I’m glad you asked.
Summer Sleep can be a big challenge for getting our babies ready for Back-to-School. Without having a set schedule over the summer, our kids tend to stay up later and sleep in later in the morning than they would during the school year. This change in sleep schedule actually causes a change in the internal clock, and sets it to a different time zone! This is called a “Delayed Sleep Phase.”
As with Little Jeremy, his brain has been re-programmed to get sleepy around 2:00AM and not be ready to wake up until 11:00AM during the summer. Delayed Sleep Phase is very common on older children and teenagers who like to stay awake at later times then sleep later in the morning. Electronics have contributed to this delayed shift in the sleep cycle, keeping kids awake and active much later than their brains normally would without electronics.
Poor sleep makes it hard for kids to concentrate, learn, remember what they’ve learned, and control their own emotions and behaviors. Poor sleep can hinder athletic performance also. Not getting enough sleep can also interfere with your child’s interpersonal relationships and family relationships. When we don’t sleep enough, our mood is not very good!
Here are 5 tips for getting your kid’s sleep right:
- Summer Sleep: Figure out your precious angel’s current summer sleep schedule. What time does she go to sleep? What time does he wake up in the morning (or afternoon…)? Do they take naps during the day?
- Bedtime: If your kiddo has been falling asleep at 2:00AM, they will not suddenly feel sleepy at 9:00PM. That is not how to brain works, Ma’am, Sir. Therefore, please do not have you kiddo go to bed early because their brains will not be sleepy at that time.
- Wake-Up Time: Instead, start waking up your offspring 1 hour earlier each day until they are waking at the appropriate time for school. Your Little Precious Thing will become sleepy earlier automatically. What should Little Jeremy’s parents do? Since Little Jeremy has been waking up at 10:00AM all summer, we suggest the following new wake-up times:
- Monday, wake up at 10AM
- Tuesday, wake up at 9AM
- Wednesday, wake up at 8AM
- Thursday, wake up at 7AM
- Friday, wake up at 6AM
- No Naps: Do not allow them to nap or sleep at all during the day, so they can save all their sleep for night. Your Little Precious Thing will become sleepy earlier automatically. The idea is to gradually decrease the amount of sleep they are getting, so they can get sleepy earlier and fall asleep earlier.
- Electronics: Phones, electronic tables, computers, and TVs are “Sleep Enemies” that keep our kids awake longer than what is good for their brains. It takes about an hour for a child’s brain to calm down after being in front of electronics.
- Turn off all electronics one hour before the time you want your babies to go to sleep.
- I suggest plugging up phones, tablets, TV remotes, and computers in the caregivers’ bedroom, so child has no access to them during the night. The bedroom should be primarily for rest and sleep.
- Use a good ole fashioned alarm clock from the dollar store to help your child wake up on time for school. Remember those?
For more ideas for Back-to-School, please consult the following sources:
- National Sleep Foundation “Back to School Sleep Tips” (August 9, 2023) www.thensf.org/back-to-school-sleep-tips/
- Cleveland Clinic “5 Back-to-School Sleep Tips for Kids” (August 10, 2022) https://health.clevelandclinic.org/back-to-school-means-back-to-bedtime
Happy Sleeping! (No napping!)
Adiaha Spinks-Franklin, MD, MPH, FAAP
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician
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