With school around the corner, now is a good time to get kids in a back-to-school sleep routine.
Sharmayne Schmit, with Sleepwell Consulting, said sleep is important for young students’ minds.
“Sleep is essentially food for the brain. During the night, when our children are sleeping when going through that rem this really solidifies that memory consolidation from the previous learning in the day before,” Schmit said.
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The Sleepwell consultant suggests establishing the sleep rules of the home with a family meeting.
“Make it light and fun and make it a positive experience,” she said.
“Talk about the schedule and the sleep routine, discuss the importance of sleep for both your children and yourselves as parents as well and talk about any upcoming activities you have during the week or appointments. It takes off some of that stress from our busy lives.”
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Schmit said a typical bedtime for school-aged children is between 7 and 8 p.m.
“Start now. Every night, start bedtime 15 minutes earlier. That way closer to school they’re back to their normal bedtime and they’re waking up well-rested, ready to start the day and learn all over again,” she said.
Another tip from Schmit is to ensure the bedroom is conducive for sleep is by eliminating light sources, keeping the room cool between 18 and 22 degrees as well as utilizing white noise tools.
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