The first, she says, is children didn\u2019t have to get up as early as usual to catch the bus or physically get to school. And the second? Many kids absorbed some of the worry and anxiety<\/a> their parents experienced\u2014and had trouble sleeping as a result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, though, research has shown time and time again that quality sleep is a nonnegotiable for kids\u2019 growth and development<\/a>\u2014not to mention their behavior and performance in school<\/a> and other activities<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The changes and inconsistency of the pandemic ultimately had many kids banking fewer hours of sleep, which is a recipe for irritability, behavioral problems, tantrums, and trouble focusing, Schneeberg says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you\u2019re preparing to send your little nugget off to kindergarten or anticipating daily struggles with your high schooler, these expert-backed sleep tips will help you finally <\/em>get your kids back into a regular routine after a summer off (and a year-plus of pandemic-related schedule disruptions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n While some sleepy-time strategies are better suited for young children than teenagers (and vice versa), there are a few general back-to-school sleep tips that all<\/em> parents should keep in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, you\u2019ll give yourself (and your children) at least two or three weeks to shift into back-to-school mode so you can make any necessary changes gradually and be settled into your bedtime and wake-up routines<\/a> come that first day, Schneeberg says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since you can\u2019t exactly train your kid to drift off into dreamland at the same moment each night, focus instead on what time they\u2019ll wake up. \u201cYou can’t make a person fall asleep, but you can help them get up at a certain time,\u201d Schneeberg says. \u201cThe rise [or wake-up] time is your anchor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your little (or not-so-little) one will need to wake up at 7:15 a.m. for school but has been sleeping in until 9 a.m., bump their wake time up by about 30 minutes or so every few days\u2014or each week, depending on how much time you have until school kicks off\u2014to gradually get them there, suggests Schneeberg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This gradual shift then helps kids feel sleepy earlier and earlier, reinforcing whatever bedtime routine you\u2019re working on. (More on how to approach that part soon.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To further reinforce those earlier wake-up times, Schneeberg recommends getting your children outside, giving them something to eat, and engaging them in some sort of light movement as soon as possible in the morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese things tell your brain, \u2018Oh, Susan needs to be awake now because light is flooding in and she\u2019s eating and moving around,\u2019\u201d she explains. (The experts call this circadian entrainment.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might, for example, take your kids with you to grab the newspaper at the end of the driveway or let the dog out and then have some breakfast together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How you work on your young child\u2019s bedtime routine differs pretty greatly from how you\u2019ll try to wrangle a tween or teen into bed. For the little ones (think toddlers through grade school), a consistent and clear structure is a must, Schneeberg says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though what your actual bedtime routine with your child looks like can vary, Schneeberg recommends following a specific formula: \u201cStart in the kitchen, then move to the bathroom, and then wrap up in their bedroom,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your little one has some sort of snack before bed<\/a>, knock that out first. Otherwise, you lose the momentum of wanting to head toward bed, explains Schneeberg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Try this flow: Give your child a bedtime snack, then wash up (using the toilet, taking a bath, and brushing teeth), and then hop into their<\/em> bed with a book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ultimate purpose of a bedtime routine is that the set of steps or activities you do make your kid sleepy, truly triggering drowsiness. To make this happen, though, you have to be incredibly consistent, which can be tricky with young children. They often try to derail the routine by asking for a second bedtime snack or to go back downstairs to hug the dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s where a sleep routine chart comes in, Schneeberg says. On this chart, you simply write down all of the pre-approved steps your child\u2019s bedtime routine involves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis way, when your little guy says, \u2018But I want to go have another snack,\u201d you can just refer to the chart and point out that they\u2019ve already had their snack\u2014and that a second one isn\u2019t part of the routine,\u201d she explains. \u201cThis helps keep stalling and protest to a minimum so you can actually establish your routine.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your youngin\u2019 still hems and haws when it comes time to finally settle down in bed (which is common!), Schneeberg recommends using bedtime tickets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter you read your books and say goodnight, your little one will come up with a million things they forgot,\u201d she notes. \u201cThey\u2019ll say they want the door open, they want you to look under the bed, they want water\u2014anything.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bedtime tickets\u2014which can be index cards you decorate or poker chips\u2014are your simple way to manage those extra requests that stall bedtime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can use these to say, \u2018OK now, I can go get you some water but that\u2019s going to cost a ticket,\u2019\u201d suggests Schneeberg. \u201cIf they need anything else, that\u2019ll cost their other ticket.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n These external guide rails help to keep your munchkin from totally derailing their bedtime routine\u2014without making you the bad guy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Help your child get better sleep this school year with the right mattress<\/p>\n \n This dual-sided innerspring mattress provides optimal support and comfort to children of all ages. Simply flip it over from the 3+ side to the 8+ side when your child is ready.<\/p>\n\n\n \n \n Shop Now\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n As kids enter puberty and begin to establish more independence, how you approach a healthy bedtime and sleep routine needs to shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No surprise here: Screens are the topic every parent struggles with most with their tweens. Technology use is a tricky one at any time of day\u2014and it’s especially troublesome come bedtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf their phone is in bed, anything negative that might be happening socially\u2014whether it\u2019s bullying<\/a> or whatever\u2014is happening right in bed with them,\u201d Schneeberg says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her suggestion: Establish a family-wide policy on what happens with phones when it\u2019s time to wind down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome parents shut down the Wi-Fi at a certain time or have everyone charge their phones downstairs or away from the bedrooms at night,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The earlier you put these rules around bedtime phone use in place, the longer your tweens are likely to comply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what\u2019s your tween supposed to do when it\u2019s time to hit the hay but they\u2019re not quite ready to close your eyes? Reading<\/a> is the ideal bedtime activity\u2014and a Kindle, which feels<\/em> like screen time, can be a great tool for older kids, says Schneeberg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, encouraging your tween to draw, write, or do another solo activity that they enjoy can help them establish a soothing, positive before-bed routine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If, around middle school or so, you notice your children staying up later or resisting earlier bedtimes, don\u2019t stress about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight around puberty, the body starts to release melatonin<\/a>\u2014the sleep hormone\u2014later at night,\u201d Schneeberg explains. \u201cSo it really isn\u2019t a choice that tweens (and teens) want to go to bed later.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n As long as you can maintain a consistent wake-up time that gets your kids to school on time, you\u2019re in the clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research shows adolescents often mirror their parents\u2019 sleep routines<\/a> and habits. So if you want your tween to establish and maintain a healthy sleep pattern that works for them, you\u2019d better model solid sleep hygiene yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Turning off your phone and the TV 30 minutes before bed, settling down with a book in the evening, and sticking to the same sleep schedule during the week and on weekends are just a few ways you can set the standard for your kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The older kids get, the harder it is to enforce a strict bedtime routine<\/a>. By the time your children are teenagers, you\u2019ll need to get creative\u2014and work with<\/em> them\u2014to establish a back-to-school sleep routine that sticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your teen is struggling hard to get up bright and early, figuring out the latest they can reasonably wake up before school can help them get the sleep they need. You\u2019ve got to be organized to make this work, though, cautions Schneeberg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That means they\u2019ve got to pack their lunch, pack their backpack, shower, and set out their clothes the night before so they can literally wake up, grab breakfast, and head out the door. Since teens naturally fall asleep and wake up later, this can make dealing with early school start times less of a struggle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Maintaining some shred of consistency with your teens on the weekends also goes a long way in reducing the weekday sleep struggle bus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI use \u2018school plus two\u2019 to determine how late teens\u2014who can sleep late<\/em>\u2014can snooze in on the weekends,\u201d Schneeberg notes. Under this rule, if your teen usually gets up at 7 a.m. during the week, they can sleep in two extra hours (until 9 a.m.) on the weekends until you wake them up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOtherwise, they\u2019re shifting their circadian rhythm<\/a> and it\u2019s like they\u2019re traveling across time zones every weekend,\u201d she explains. Minimizing this shift as much as possible will help teens get up when they need to throughout the school week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To motivate sleepy teens to get up and out of bed on the weekends, make plans for Saturday and Sunday mornings whenever you can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaybe you go on a hike near your house on Saturday mornings or go out for pancakes as a family on Sundays,\u201d suggests Schneeberg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your word isn\u2019t enough to convince your teen to get more than four hours of sleep per night, set them up with a fitness tracker or smartwatch that can monitor their sleep patterns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen, even the teen can see the reality of their habits and say, \u2018Wow, this really is <\/em>chaotic,\u2019\u201d Schneeberg says. \u201cPlus, many trackers these days offer feedback about whether you need more sleep or have low sleep quality, so the tech does some of the work for you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nBack-to-school sleep tips for children of all ages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Adjust wake-up times gradually<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Plan mornings wisely<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Back-to-school sleep tips for young children<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Think \u201ckitchen, bathroom, bedroom\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make a sleep routine chart<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Try bedtime tickets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"saatva](\"https:\/\/blog.saatva.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/saatva-youth-1024x515.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n \n Youth Mattress<\/a>\n <\/h4>\n\n \n
Back-to-school sleep tips for tweens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Put the phones away<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Find non-phone bedtime rituals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Be prepared for a later bedtime<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Model good behavior<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Back-to-school sleep tips for teens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Set the latest wake-up time possible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Try the \u201cschool plus two\u201d rule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use a sleep tracker<\/h3>\n\n\n\n