6 ways to get kids to sleep earlier

Tips to help you not miss the school bus.

‘If you haven’t started already, now is the time to start transitioning your child’s sleep schedule.’ Dr. Melissa King Pediatrician at the Children’s Health Clinic

Summer is a time for kids to stay up late catching lightning bugs and then hit the snooze button in the morning. But the days are getting shorter and soon those yellow busses will be rolling. So before the school bell rings, make sure your child is ready for the alarm by setting up a sleep schedule now.

Everyone can get cranky when they don’t get enough shuteye, but for kids, it can cause a lot more harm to their growing bodies and minds. “Sleep deprivation has been connected to a greater risk of obesity, diabetes and hyperactivity,” says Melissa King, DO, pediatrician at the Children’s Health Clinic and Dr. Mom Squad blogger for Dayton Children’s Hospital. “Lack of sleep can make it harder for them to pay attention to the teacher or remember what they are learning, translating into lower grades. It can also delay their response time, which can effect safety and impact their skill in sports. For teens who are driving, that delayed response can be downright dangerous behind the wheel.”

In fact, a study by AAA found young drivers were more likely to be drowsy at the time of a crash than older drivers, by as much as 78 percent. The same study found one in six deadly crashes involves a drowsy driver. How much sleep do kids need? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends schoolage kids get at least 10 hours of sleep a night. That means if they have to get up at 6 a.m., they need to hit the pillow no later than 8 p.m. — a lot earlier than many parents may think.

Teenagers need less but their school start times are normally earlier. In addition, they tend to have more distractions and more activities that run into the evening. Still teens should be getting about nine hours of sleep a night.

“If you haven’t started already, now is the time to start transitioning your child’s sleep schedule. At least two weeks before the first day of school, begin waking them earlier and earlier so they can also go to bed earlier. It can take some time for the body to adjust,” says Dr. King. “Move their wake-up time and bedtime forward by 15 or 30 minutes each day until you reach times that work for the school year. For example, if they are sleeping until 9 am then wake them by 8:30 a.m. and put them to bed by 10:30 or 11:30 p.m., depending on age. Keep waking them earlier and then putting them to bed earlier until you are on schedule for school.”

Dr. King offers six tips to help your child get to sleep easier:

Be consistent. Don’t allow wide swings on weekends or holidays.

Keep the bedroom dark, cool and quiet. Turn away brightly lit clocks.

Turn off electronics one hour before bedtime.

Wind down. Spend 20-30 minutes in soothing rituals like reading or taking a bath. Avoid caffeine. Get some exercise earlier in the day.